Question

How do you solve `3(a + 2) + 5 = 2a + 4`?

Answer 1

The solutions is `a=-7`.

Explanation:

Use the distributive property to expand the parentheses, then isolate `a`:

`3(a+2)+5=2a+4`

`3a+6+5=2a+4`

`3a+11=2a+4`

`3a+11color(blue)-color(blue)11=2a+4color(blue)-color(blue)11`

`3acolor(red)cancelcolor(Black)(color(black)+11color(blue)-color(blue)11)=2a+4color(blue)-color(blue)11`

`3a=2a+4color(blue)-color(blue)11`

`3a=2a-7`

`3acolor(blue)-color(blue)(2a)=2a-7color(blue)-color(blue)(2a)`

`3acolor(blue)-color(blue)(2a)=color(red)cancelcolor(black)(2a)-7color(red)cancelcolor(blue)(color(blue)-2a)`

`3acolor(blue)-color(blue)(2a)=-7`

`a=-7`

That's the solution. Hope this helped!