Final answer:
The mistake occurred after the initial equation, where terms containing 'h' and the constants should have been combined. Instead, an unrelated step is discussed, which pertains to Chemistry and not algebra. Combining like terms and simplification is crucial to reach a reasonable answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first mistake in the given algebraic expression occurred after the initial equation was presented, which is 5h + 9 - 3h - 2 = 27 - 2h. The student was supposed to combine like terms to simplify the equation, which is a common step in algebra. The process should involve combining the terms with the variable 'h' and combining the constant terms separately. However, the provided solution incorrectly directs us to Step 1, which talks about breaking bonds in reactants, a concept from Chemistry that does not apply here.
To correctly simplify the equation, one would combine the 'h' terms (5h - 3h) to get 2h, and the constant terms (9 - 2) to get 7, resulting in the simplified equation 2h + 7 = 27 - 2h. The next steps would involve adding 2h to both sides and then subtracting 7 from both sides to solve for 'h'. The correct algebraic process is important to reach a reasonable answer, as per algebra rules.