Question 591·Medium·Algebra

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0.6\,(x-5)+8 = 1.2x-4

What value of $x$ satisfies the equation above?

Your answer

An equation with $x$ on both sides is a linear equation when $x$ appears only to the first power. With decimals and parentheses, you might miss a multiplication. Keep the original equation intact and use a Desmos regression, which finds the value that makes both sides equal. Be careful not to multiply $x$ but leave the number beside it unchanged.

Hints

Hint 1
The distributive property says the number outside parentheses multiplies every term inside. Here, $0.6$ multiplies both $x$ and $-5$ . What happens to the $+8$ outside the parentheses?
Hint 2
A solution makes the two sides equal. For a Desmos regression, change each $x$ to $x_1$ and the equals sign to $\sim$ . Which value does Desmos find under PARAMETERS?

Step-by-step

Check the parentheses, then solve in Desmos
Step 1
Distribute across the parentheses
To distribute means to multiply every term inside the parentheses. Multiply both $x$ and $-5$ by $0.6$ :
$0.6(x-5)+8=0.6x-3+8.$
The $+8$ is outside the parentheses, so it stays $+8$ . Keep the parentheses when you enter the original equation in Desmos.
Step 2
Find the value that makes both sides equal
Type $0.6(x_1-5)+8\sim1.2x_1-4$ . Desmos uses $x_1$ as the unknown and $\sim$ to find where the sides match. Under PARAMETERS, it shows $x_1=15$ . So the value of $x$ that satisfies the equation is $15$ . Grid in 15.

Question 591·Medium·Algebra

Strategy

Hints

Step-by-step

Lessons that teach this

Study Hints

Strategy

Hints

Step-by-step

Lessons that teach this