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Does a multi-step equation always sometimes or never have a solution? Explain your reasoning.

User Slowko
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1 Answer

1 vote
I mean, if I have

5x+2=27, do you think it has an answer? Either way, it does.
-2 -2
5x=25
x=5

However, what if I had

5x - 2 = 5x - 2?
-5x -5x
-2=-2. Yes, this is a solution, but not for x. You'd call it something else.

But what about

5x - 2 = 5x + 5?
-5x -5x

-2 = 5 This is wrong, so it's no solution!

That means your answer is "sometimes"!
User Duncanhall
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