Final answer:
The best first step for solving the equation −8=2(z−18) is to isolate the variable z by distributing and simplifying the equation, then solving for z by dividing both sides by 2.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best first step for solving the equation −8=2(z−18) is to isolate the variable z. To do this, we can start by distributing the 2 on the right side of the equation:
−8 = 2z − 36
Next, we can simplify the equation further by adding 36 to both sides:
−8 + 36 = 2z
Finally, we divide both sides of the equation by 2 to solve for z:
14 = z