Final answer:
To isolate the variable x in the inequality 4x + 2 > 24, first subtract 2 from both sides, then divide both sides by 4 to find x > 5.5.
Step-by-step explanation:
To isolate the variable in the inequality 4x + 2 > 24, we should follow two main steps. The first step is to subtract 2 from both sides of the inequality to get rid of the constant term on the left side. This gives us 4x + 2 - 2 > 24 - 2, which simplifies to 4x > 22. The second step is to divide both sides by 4 to isolate the variable x. Performing this step gives us x > 22/4, which simplifies to x > 5.5. So the correct sequence of steps to isolate x in this inequality is a) subtract 2 from both sides, and then b) divide both sides by 4.