Question

You are given the equation ½x = 4 . To isolate the x variable, you should multiply both sides of this equation by 2 (the inverse of ½).

Is that right or wrong?

Answer 1

That is right, but you should think of it like dividing 4 by 1/2. This will help you when solving more complex problems.

Answer 2

That is right. You would get x = 8. 1/2 of 8 is 4, so yes. Like in 1/4x = 8, you would multiply by 4 to get x = 32. Remember, 1/2 of 2 is 1, 1/4 of 4 is one, etc. 1/x times x is always 1.