Question

Identify the first step in solving this equation for x: 7(x - 8) = 49.

Answer 1

The first step is to distribute the 7 to both terms inside the parentheses, resulting in the equation 7x - 56 = 49.

Step-by-step explanation:

The first step in solving the equation 7(x - 8) = 49 for x is to apply the distributive property or expand the equation to eliminate the parentheses. This is done by multiplying the 7 by each term inside the parentheses.

Distribute 7 to both x and -8:

7 × x = 7x

7 × -8 = -56

So the equation becomes 7x - 56 = 49.

After distributing, the next steps would involve moving terms to isolate x on one side of the equation, and then simplifying to find the value of x. This process aims to eliminate terms wherever possible to simplify the algebra. Once the solution for x is obtained, it is important to check that the answer is reasonable.

Answer 2

Applying the distributive property to remove parenthesis is the first step in solving this equation.

The first step in solving the equation 7 (x - 8) = 49 for x is to distribute the 7 on the left side of the equation.

This involves multiplying 7 by each term inside the parentheses. The equation becomes:

7x - 56 = 49

Now, you have a simplified equation, and you can proceed with solving for x by isolating the variable on one side of the equation.

7x = 49 + 56

7x = 105

x = 15

The first step in solving every equation is to apply relevant properties to make the equation simpler.