Question

When solving -5+x=13, our first step is to isolate the variable by performing an inverse operation to both sides of the equation. What number needs to be added to both sides to correctly isolate the variable and solve the equation?

Answer 1

To solve the equation -5 + x = 13, we need to isolate the variable x. To do this, we can add the same number to both sides of the equation to eliminate the negative term.

The number we need to add to both sides is 5.

So, we add 5 to both sides of the equation:

-5 + x = 13

Adding 5 to both sides gives us:

x = 18

Therefore, the solution to the equation is x = 18.

Explanation: