I don't understand the question. Please help.

Question

I don't understand what it means to use the multiplication property of equality to solve linear equations.

I do understand the multiplication property of equality, but then I'm lost.

Thank you for your help and your time.

Lisa

Answer 1

I have a friend who is a retired math teacher; together we like to refer to what you are asking about as the "Golden Rule of Equations".

This rule says that what ever you do to one side of an equation you must do to the other.

The presumption in this "rule" is that you want to maintain equality.

Simple example:

(x/4) + (1/8) = 3/8

Now multiply the equation by 4: x + (1/2) = 3/2

and subtract 1/2 from each side

x = 1

Although you asked about multiplication, this rule holds for arithmetic operations, roots and powers, logarithms, differentiation, integration...