Final answer:
The likely error your friend made was a miscalculation or misinterpretation of the equation 4^x + 24x − 5 = 7(4^x + 7). The correct solution, after simplification and solving for x, is x = 2.25, not x = 54.
Step-by-step explanation:
First, let's identify your friend's likely error by solving the equation 4x + 24x−5 = 7(4x + 7). Notice that there seems to be a typographical error in the original expression provided. It appears the equation should be 4^x + 24x − 5 = 7(4^x + 7). Assuming this corrects the typo, we can start by simplifying the right side of the equation:
4^x + 24x − 5 = 28^x + 49
Next, we subtract 4^x and 49 from both sides to isolate the variable term:
24x − 5 − 4^x − 49 = 28^x + 49 − 4^x − 49
Which simplifies to:
24x − 54 = 0
Now, we can solve for x:
x = 54/24
x = 2.25
Thus, the correct solution is x = 2.25, not x = 54. To prevent such mistakes, it is important to carefully check each step of the algebraic process and eliminate terms where possible to simplify the equation.