Question

Solve the equation. Then check your solution: -85 = 72(x + 1)

A) x = 1.12
B) x = -1.12
C) x = -1.02
D) x = 1.02

Answer 1

To solve the equation -85 = 72(x + 1), distribute 72 to (x + 1), simplify the equation, and divide by 72 to find x = -2.18. Check the solution by substituting it back into the original equation.

Step-by-step explanation:

To solve the equation -85 = 72(x + 1), we first distribute 72 to (x + 1) to get -85 = 72x + 72. Next, we simplify the equation by subtracting 72 from both sides to get -157 = 72x. Finally, we divide both sides by 72 to isolate x and find that x = -2.18.

To check our solution, we substitute x = -2.18 back into the original equation. Plugging in -2.18 for x, we get -85 = 72(-2.18 + 1), which simplifies to -85 = 72(-1.18) and further simplifies to -85 = -85. Since the equation holds true, we can conclude that the correct solution is x = -2.18.