Question

Of the following options, what could be a possible first step in solving the

equation -7x- 5 = x + 3? (6 points)
Adding 7x to both sides of the equation
O Subtracting 5 from both sides of the equation
Adding x to both sides of the equation
O Combining like terms, -7x + x = - 6x

Answer 1

A possible first step in solving the equation -7x - 5 = x + 3 is to add 7x to both sides of the equation. This will eliminate the -7x term on the left side and leave only the x term on the right side, making it easier to solve for x.

Adding 7x to both sides, we get:

-7x - 5 + 7x = x + 3 + 7x

Simplifying, we get:

-5 = 8x + 3

Now we can continue to solve for x by subtracting 3 from both sides and then dividing by 8:

-5 - 3 = 8x + 3 - 3

-8 = 8x

x = -1

Therefore, the solution to the equation -7x - 5 = x + 3 is x = -1.