Final answer:
The negative coefficient in the equation -2 - 6b = 32 is -6. To solve for b, one would add 2 to both sides and then divide by -6 to find that b = -17/3 or approximately -5.67.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the equation -2 - 6b = 32, the negative coefficient is -6 which is the number that is multiplied by the variable b. To solve for b, we can use the property that addition or subtraction of the same number on the two sides of an equation does not change the equality. Here are the steps to isolate b:
- Add 2 to both sides to get: -6b = 34.
- Divide both sides by -6 to find the value of b: b = 34 / -6 which simplifies to b = -17/3 or approximately b = -5.67.
The negative coefficient in the context of graphing represents a straight line with a negative slope if the equation is in the form of a linear function.