Answer:
1a. 4x + 12 ≥ 40
Subtract 12 from both sides:
4x ≥ 28
Divide both sides by 4:
x ≥ 7
Therefore, the solution is x ≥ 7.
1b. 3(x + 8) ≤ 3x + 15
Distribute the 3:
3x + 24 ≤ 3x + 15
Subtract 3x from both sides:
24 ≤ 15
This inequality is not true for any value of x, so there is no solution.