
Step-by-step explanation: Notice that the variable we're solving for in this problem appears in two separate terms. In this situation, we must first factor the <em>x</em> out of both terms to get x(a + b) = c.
Think about it as the reverse of the distributive property. In other words, if we take our second step and distribute the <em>x</em> through the parentheses, we end up back at our first step.
The beauty of factoring is that the two <em>x's</em> in this problem have now been combined into one <em>x</em> and we can get <em>x</em> by itself by simply dividing both sides by <em>a + b</em> and we have
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In the image provided, I have highlighted the <em>x</em> in purple so we know what we're solving for and I have shown you the steps as well.