Question

Your friend says the solution to 6x + 19x - 3 = 5(5x + 6) is x = 33. Solve 6x + 19x-3 = 5(5x + 6). What was your friend's likely error?​

Answer 1

Answer: Forgot to divide at the end

Explanation:

To figure out your friend's error, solve the equation yourself.

1. Distribute the 5 to get 25x+30
2. Combine like terms in the first equation toget 25x-3=25x+30
3. Add 3 to the other side.

When we do this, we realize adding 3 would make it 33. This shows that the friend likely forgot to divide by 25 to completely isolate x, and stopped at that step.