Question

In the equation 6x – 2 = –4x + 2, Spencer claims that the first step is to add 4x to both sides. Jeremiah claims that the first step is to subtract 6x from both sides. Who is correct? Explain.

Answer 1

The real way is to subtract the term with the variable on the right first, but both Spencer and Jeremiah are correct. When you do them both, they arrive at the same answer, only that Spencer's would be 2/5, and Jeremiah's would be -2/-5, which is 2/5, because you divide negative by a negative. It doesn't matter which term with the variable you would cancel out first. Either way, you still arrive at the correct answer.

Answer 2

Both are correct in their order of steps. In does not matter which you subtract or add as long as you are eliminating something from each side. However, in order to keep the equation positive, the most preferred step would be to add 4x.

Hope this helps!