Don L. answered 01/22/16
Tutor
5
(13)
Fifteen years teaching and tutoring basic math skills and algebra
Hi Jammie, to find out what x is, solve the inequality for x.
Step 1:
Add 10 to both sides of the inequality.
-3x < 16
Step 2:
Divide both sides by -3
x < 16 / -3
Step 3:
The most important step. Because you are dividing by a negative number, you must reverse the inequality symbol.
x > -16 / 3
You can check this answer by substituting various values for x and see what happens. As long as the number is greater than -16 / 3 or -5 and 1 / 3, the inequality is true. When the value for x is less than -16 / 3, the inequality is false.
Note: you must reverse the inequality symbol if you multiply or divide by a negative number.
Questions?