Explanation:
Step 1: Start with a basic equation with the variable on one side and a whole number coefficient. Let's use the equation 2x = 18 as an example.
Step 2: To introduce a fractional coefficient, divide both sides of the equation by a non-zero number. Let's divide both sides of the equation by 2, resulting in x = 9.
Step 3: Now, we need to make the variable appear on both sides of the equation. We can achieve this by adding or subtracting the same term on both sides. Let's subtract 3x from both sides of the equation, resulting in -3x + x = 9 - 3x.
Step 4: Simplify the equation by combining like terms. -3x + x on the left side simplifies to -2x, and 9 - 3x on the right side remains the same. This gives us -2x = 9 - 3x.
Step 5: Finally, to make x equal to 9, we can subtract 9 from both sides of the equation. This gives us -2x - 9 = 9 - 3x - 9, which simplifies to -2x - 9 = -3x.
So, a multi-step equation that meets the given criteria with x equal to 9 is -2x - 9 = -3x.