Final answer:
To solve equations with variables on both sides, combine like terms, isolate the variable, and solve for it.
Step-by-step explanation:
When solving equations with variables on both sides, you can follow these steps:
- Combine like terms on each side of the equation to simplify it.
- Move all the variables to one side of the equation and all the constants to the other side by adding or subtracting them.
- Simplify the equation further if needed.
- Divide both sides of the equation by the coefficient of the variable to isolate the variable.
- Solve for the variable by performing the necessary operations.
- Check your solution by substituting it back into the original equation and see if the equation holds true.
For example, if we have the equation 2x + 5 = 3x - 1, we can start by subtracting 2x from both sides to move the variables to one side. This gives us 5 = x - 1. Then, we add 1 to both sides to isolate the variable x, giving us 6 = x. Therefore, x = 6 is the solution to the equation.