Answer:
(a) Two x plus eight is greater than negative four
(b) x > -6; number line would be an open circle at -6 and the line pointing in the positive direction to be shaded
Step-by-step explanation:
(a)
Note first that the inequality sign ">" means "greater than", so 2x + 8 > -4 in written language is:
<em>Two x plus eight </em><em>is greater than</em><em> negative four</em>
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(b)
We solve this just like how we'd solve it if it were 2x + 8 = -4: isolate the variable first.
Subtract 8 from both sides:
2x + 8 - 8 > -4 - 8
2x > -12
Divide by 2:
x > -12/2
x > -6
So, the solution set is all numbers greater than -6.
Drawn on a number line, we would first place an <em>open circle</em> at -6 (because we are using > rather than ≥, which would include the -6 in the solution set). Then, because our solution set includes all numbers greater than -6, we shade in the part of the line that points in the positive direction, so it should include numbers like -5, -4, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, ... and so on.