Final answer:
To solve the equation 2x - 3 = 5, we add 3 to both sides to get 2x = 8, divide by 2 to find x = 4, and verify the solution by checking that the original equation holds true.
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve the linear equation 2x - 3 = 5, we will follow the three-step process:
- Add or subtract to isolate the variable term on one side of the equation. We start by adding 3 to both sides: 2x - 3 + 3 = 5 + 3, which simplifies to 2x = 8.
- Multiply or divide to solve for the variable. We then divide both sides by 2: 2x / 2 = 8 / 2, resulting in x = 4.
- Check your solution by substituting x back into the original equation: 2(4) - 3 = 8 - 3, which gives us 5, confirming that x = 4 is indeed the solution.
By following these steps, we identify the unknown value of x that makes the equation true. Practice test problems often contain similar equations where these steps can be applied to find the solution.