EQUATIONS
Example Equation: 3x+12=21
This is called an equation because it contains a variable and has something on both sides of the equal sign.
If an equation has a solution, there is some number that could be substituted in place of the variable to balance each side of the equation. To find a solution, undo in reverse order. Let's solve our example equation:
3x+12-12=21-12 3x=9 3x/3 =9/3 x=3
After undoing in reverse order, we come to the answer x=3. If we plug 3 into the original equation, we find that 3(3)+12 is indeed equal to 21. So, the solution is 3.
In solving basic equations, you also need to learn how to solve inequalities. See the videos to the right.
