to solve 5/8(x - 1/2)= 10, the first step is to reverse the multiplication. what number should both sides be divided by

Answer 1

To solve the equation 5/8(x - 1/2) = 10, the first step is not to reverse the multiplication. We need to isolate the variable x on one side of the equation.

The first step is to distribute the 5/8 to both terms inside the parentheses:

5/8(x) - 5/8(1/2) = 10.

This simplifies to:

5/8x - 5/16 = 10.

Now, to get rid of the -5/16 term on the left side, we can add 5/16 to both sides:

5/8x = 10 + 5/16.

Now, to solve for x, we need to multiply both sides by the reciprocal of 5/8, which is 8/5:

(8/5)(5/8)x = (8/5)(10 + 5/16).

The 5/8 and 8/5 cancel each other out on the left side, leaving:

x = (8/5)(10 + 5/16).

Now, we can simplify the right side to find the value of x.