To solve the equation \(-2X - 5 = -21\), you can follow these two steps:
Step 1: Add 5 to both sides
\[ -2X - 5 + 5 = -21 + 5 \] This simplifies to: \[ -2X = -16 \]
Step 2: Divide by -2
\[ \frac{-2X}{-2} = \frac{-16}{-2} \] This simplifies to: \[ X = 8 \]
Solution
The solution to the equation \(-2X - 5 = -21\) is \(X = 8\).