To be able to do these equations, you draw a line down the middle of the equal sign to separate sides. So you are trying to get the variable (m) on one side by itself. In order to do that, you have to move 10.20 to the other side. But whenever you move things to the other side you have to do the opposite in this case it would be subtraction because 10.20 is a positive number but the opposite of positive is negative which means subtraction. So you do
3.46-10.20 which will give you -6.47 and now you have -m left but whenever u have a negative sign in front of a variable that means there is a one beside it. A number besides a variable is multiplication but the opposite is division so we would divide.
EQUATION: 5x = 2x - 9 Add 9 to both sides NEW EQUATION: 5x + 9 = 2x Subtact 5x from both sides: NEW EQUATION: 9 = -3x Divide -x on bith sides NEW EQUATION: -3 = x, or x=-3
