Question

Zachary is solving the following equation

3/4(x - 8)= 12

Which is the best first step to begin to simplify the equation?
A.Multiply both sides of the equation by 3/4
B.Divide both sides of the equation by 4/3
C.Distribute 3/4 over (x - 8)
D.Distribute 4/3 over (x - 8)

Answer 1

C. Distribute 3/4 over (x - 8)

Explanation:

There are multiple ways to begin solving this problem.

If we want to cancel the 3/4 without using the distributive property, we would divide both sides by 3/4. Dividing by 4/3 will not cancel it.

When dividing by fractions, we multiply by the reciprocal; this would be multiplying both sides by 4/3. Multiplying by 3/4 will not cancel it.

Using the distributive property, we multiply (x-8) by the number in front of parentheses, 3/4. We cannot distribute 4/3, since it is not part of the equation.

Answer 2

The answer is C.

The first step in a math problem with distribution involved is to take care of the parentheses (PEMDAS). This means you have to distribute 3/4 to the (x - 8).

I hope this helped!