Solving Equations

Question	Answer
To solve an equation, each side of the equation must balance with the other side. One of the most common methods used to solve equations is the balance method.	Imagine an equation as a set of scales. The scales will stay in balance as long as the same operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication or division) is applied to both sides.
Example: Solve the equation 3a + 8 = 26 To solve the equation, the left hand side must balance with the right hand side	The value of 'a' must be found that balances 3a + 8 with 26
The term +8 can be removed from the equation by subtracting 8 from each side. This gives 3a + 8 - 8 = 26 - 8 This simplifies to 3a = 18	3a means 3xa, so to get a by itself, divide both sides by 3. This gives 3a/3 = 18/3 This simplifies to a = 6
This answer can be checked by substituting a = 6 back into the original equation	1) 3a + 8 = 26 2) 3 x 6 + 8 = 26 3) 18 + 8 = 26 4) 26 = 26 It balances so a = 6 is the correct answer

Resource summary

	Created by Liffey Farrell almost 7 years ago