Solve the equation

Question

Girardo is using the model below to solve the equation .

Girardo uses the following steps:

Step 1	Add 4 negative x-tiles to both sides
Step 2	Add 1 negative unit tile to both sides
Step 3	The solution is

Which step could be adjusted so that Gerardo's final step results in a positive x-value?

In step 1, he should have added 4 positive x-tiles to both sides.

In step 1, he should have added 3 negative x-tiles to both sides.

In step 2, he should have added 4 negative unit tiles to both sides.

In step 2, he should have added 1 positive unit tile to both sides.

Answer 1

So this is quite simple. Anytime with algebra, you add the opposite sign to both sides to solve

If you have an x value on both sides, usually you'd try to get the smaller side onto the other side

so from: 3x + 1 = 4x + (-4),

He should add 3 negative x-tiles (since 3x is positive) to both sides so the equation would then be: 1 = x + (-4)

Then with step 2, he should add 4 positive unit tiles to both sides (since 4 is a negative value, you add the opposite sign), so then the problem would end as: 5 = x or x = 5.

Hope this helped.