Question

Solve the equation 2(n + 3) = 13. What are two ways to start solving this equation? Choose both. Divide both sides by 2. Use the distributive property.

1) Divide both sides by 2
2) Use the distributive property
3) Subtract 3 from both sides
4) Multiply both sides by 2

Answer 1

The two ways to start solving the equation 2(n + 3) = 13 are to either divide both sides by 2, resulting in n + 3 = 6.5, or use the distributive property, which gives 2n + 6 = 13. Both methods will eventually lead to finding the value of n, which is 3.5. So, the best answer is b, Divide both sides by 2

Step-by-step explanation:

To solve the equation 2(n + 3) = 13, let's look at two viable methods of initiating the solution:

Use the distributive property: This property allows us to eliminate the parentheses by distributing the multiplier across the terms within. We would have 2n + 6 = 13.

Both methods are valid starting points for solving the equation. After choosing either method, we would continue solving by isolating n to find its value.

When using the distributive property, after distribution we would then subtract 6 from both sides to isolate the n term, resulting in 2n = 7, which simplifies to n = 3.5 after dividing both sides by 2.

Alternatively, if we begin by dividing both sides of the equation by 2, we would further isolate n by subtracting 3 from both sides, leading to n = 3.5.