To solve the equation \(-4 + 2b = -40\) using inverse operations, follow these steps:
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Add 4 to both sides to isolate the term with \(b\): \[ -4 + 2b + 4 = -40 + 4 \] Simplifying this gives: \[ 2b = -36 \]
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Divide both sides by 2 to solve for \(b\): \[ \frac{2b}{2} = \frac{-36}{2} \] Simplifying this gives: \[ b = -18 \]
So the solution to the equation \(-4 + 2b = -40\) is: \[ b = -18 \]