Question

Solve the linear equation x + x + 2 + x + 4 + x + 6 = -28. State the property that justifies your first step and why you chose it.

Answer 1

The value of x is -10 ;

The property that justifies the first step is the commutative property of addition

Here, we want to solve the equation

We start by bringng the like terms together

In this case, we bring the x-terms together and also, bring the numbered terms together

We have this as follows;

`\begin{gathered} x\text{ + x +x +x +4 + 6 + 2 = -28} \\ 4x+12\text{ = -28} \\ 4x\text{ = -28 - 12} \\ 4x\text{ = -40} \\ x\text{ = }(-40)/(4) \\ x\text{ = -10} \end{gathered}`

The property that justifies the first step is the commutative property of addition. It was chosen because if we bring terms which are of the same kind together to add, the result yielded will be a term which is the same type as those which we have brought together