Solving an Equation, How to Solve an Equation, Check Your Solutions

Note: try another value for x. Say x=5: you get 5-2=4 which is not true, so x=5 is not a solution.

You can have more than one solution.

Example: (x-3)(x-2) = 0

When x is 3 we get:

(3-3)(3-2) = 0 × 1 = 0

which is true

And when x is 2 we get:

(2-3)(2-2) = (-1) × 0 = 0

which is true

So the solutions are:

x = 3, or x = 2

In other words, you want to move everything except "x" (or whatever name your variable has) over to the right hand side.

Example: Solve 3x-6 = 9

Now we have x = something,

and a short calculation reveals that x = 5

 x - 3 + 3 = 5 + 3. This becomes x = 5 + 3 or x = 8.

For example solve the equation: 8x-2=14 

To keep both sides of an equation equal, we must do exactly the same thing to each side of the equation. First, add two to each side of the equation so that 8x-2+2=14+2 or 8x=16. If we multiply (or divide) one side by a quantity, we must multiply (or divide) the other side by that same quantity. 

In order to solve this equation we would divide both sides by 8. The equation would become 8x/8 = 16/8. When simplified, this would become x = 16/8 or x = 2. 

It is possible to substitute the value of x back into the original equation 8*2-2=14.