Solve Algebraic Equations (1-Step)

Any fraction that has the same numerator and denominator is equal to 1.

I can write any whole number as a fraction with a 1 in the denominator. When I multiply fractions, I multiply the numerators together and the denominators together. So I multiply 3 by 4 to get 12, and 1 by 7 to get 7. The answer is [ggfrac]1/2[/ggfrac]7, or 1[ggfrac]5/7[/ggfrac].

4, 7, and 8. In each case, I multiply by a number and divide by the same number. It’s like I do an operation, and then undo it. This is why my answer is the same as the number that the inverse operations are done to: it is like nothing happened to it!

? = 2. Since 5 is multiplied by 2, I can do the inverse operation, division, to undo the multiplication.

? = 6. Since 7 is divided by 6, I can multiply it by 6 to get back to 7.

A variable represents an unknown quantity. In an equation, I can use an x to represent it, or any other letter of symbol I choose.

8 is subtracted from x, and since I want x to be alone on the left side, I should add 8 to it. I also have to add 8 on the right side to keep the equation balanced.

x is multiplied by 7, so I should divide it by 7 to get 1x, which is the same as x. Then I also have to divide the other side by 7.

On the left side of the equation, Joe multiplied both the numerator and denominator by 4. That does not help him solve for x, since [ggfrac]4/4[/ggfrac] is equal to 1. To multiply x by 4, he should multiply only the numerator on both sides.

If I substitute 6 for x in the equation, I get 4∙6 on the left side, which is equal to 24. I have 20 on the right side. 24 is not equal to 20, therefore 6 is not the value of x.