How do you solve #-7a + 4+ 8a = 11- 29#?

Question

1036 views around the world

You can reuse this answer
Creative Commons License

Answer 1 · 2017-04-24T20:09:57

#a=-22#

To solve this you want to get all of the numbers with #a# on one side and all of the numbers that don't have #a# on the other side.
Like this,

#color(green)(-7a)color(red)(+4)color(green)(+8a)=color(red)(11-29)#

#color(green)(-7a)color(green)(+8a)=color(red)(11-29-4)#

Now add and subtract your terms

#color(green)(a)=color(red)(-22)#

We can check our answer
Since #a=-22#,

#-7a+4+8a=11-29#

#-7(-22)+4+8(-22)=11-29#

#154+4-176=11-29#

#154-172=11-29#

#-18=-18#