Question

What is x if
-10x - 2 = 18

Answer 1

x = -2

Explanation:

To solve -10x - 2 = 18 for x, you have to do the inverse of each operation, but backward. Since the equation subtracted two last, we have to add (since the opposite of subtraction is addition) 2 first. 18 + 2 = 20, so now we have -10x = 20. This is because -2 + 2 cancels out the -2 (it equals 0).

Then, we have to divide both sides of the equation by -10 to get x by itself. Since the equation multiplied by -10, we have to do the opposite of multiplication, which is division.
`(-10x)/(-10) = x` because -10 divided by -10 equals 1 and one multiplied by x is 1x, or just x. Now we have
`x = (20)/(-10)` since we have to do the same thing on both sides. A positive divided by a negative is a negative, and 20 divided by 10 is 2, so our answer is negative 2. Therefore, x = -2.