Solving Multi-Step Equations Combining Like Terms

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What is a multi-step equation?

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A multi-step equation is an equation that requires more than one step to solve, often involving combining like terms, distributing, and isolating the variable.

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What are like terms?

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Like terms are terms in an expression that have the same variable raised to the same power. For example, 3x and 5x are like terms.

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How do you combine like terms?

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To combine like terms, add or subtract the coefficients of the terms that have the same variable. For example, 6x + 3x = 9x.

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What is the first step in solving the equation 6x + 3x + 12 = 3?

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The first step is to combine like terms: 6x + 3x becomes 9x, so the equation simplifies to 9x + 12 = 3.

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How do you isolate a variable in an equation?

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To isolate a variable, perform inverse operations to get the variable alone on one side of the equation.

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What is the solution to the equation 11 = 5x + 4 - 3x + 5?

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The solution is x = 1.

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What does it mean to distribute in an equation?

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Distributing means to multiply a term by each term inside parentheses. For example, 2(3 + x) becomes 6 + 2x.

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What is the solution to the equation -8r + 6 - 2r = -44?

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The solution is r = 5.

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How do you check your solution to an equation?

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To check your solution, substitute the value back into the original equation to see if both sides are equal.

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What is the solution to the equation 5 = 12 + 3x + 2?

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The solution is x = -3.