Maricella solves for x in the equation 4 x minus 2 (3 x minus 4) + 4 = negative x + 3 (x + 1) + 1. She begins by adding –4 + 4 on the left side of the equation and 1 + 1 on the right side of the equation. Which best explains why Maricella’s strategy is incorrect?

Question

Maricella solves for x in the equation 4 x minus 2 (3 x minus 4) + 4 = negative x + 3 (x + 1) + 1. She begins by adding –4 + 4 on the left side of the equation and 1 + 1 on the right side of the equation. Which best explains why Maricella’s strategy is incorrect?
The multiplication that takes place while distributing comes before addition and subtraction in order of operations.
In order to combine like terms on one side of the equation, the inverse operation must be used.
When the problem is worked in the correct order, the numbers that Maricella added are not actually like terms.
Maricella did not combine all three constants on both sides of the equation; she combined only two.

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The best explanation for why Maricella's strategy is incorrect is:

The multiplication that takes place while distributing comes before addition and subtraction in order of operations.

Maricella attempted to simplify the equation by adding constants without properly distributing first, which is essential since there are multiplication operations that need to be completed prior to any addition or subtraction. This means she would not be combining like terms accurately, leading to a misinterpretation of the equation and potentially incorrect results.