Question

How do you solve `-5(5n – 7) – 4 = 56`?

Answer 1

Expand the paranthesis and isolate `n` on one side of the equation.

Explanation:

Your stating equation is

`-5(5n-7)-4 = 56`

First, use the distributive property of multiplication to get

`-5 * 5n -5 * (-7) - 4 = 56`

`-25n + 35 -4 = 56`

`-25n +31 = 56`

Next, add `-31` to both sides of the equation to get

`-25n + color(red)(cancel(color(black)(31))) - color(red)(cancel(color(black)(31))) = 56 - 31`

`-25n = 25`

Finally, divide both sides of the equation by `-25` to get

`(color(red)(cancel(color(black)(-25))) * n)/color(red)(cancel(color(black)(-25))) = 25/(-25)`

`n = color(green)(-1)`