Need help on math homework...?

Question

Here's what it looks like and I don't understand what to do.

Provide a reason to justify each step

43. 6(2x - 8) + 36

a. 12x - 48 = 36 ____________________________

b. 12x - 48 + 48 = 36 +48 ____________________________

c. 12x = 84 ____________________________

d. 1/12 (times) 12x = 1/12 (times) 84 _____________________

e. x = 7 ___________________________

tHeres lines on the right of each step and on top it says to provide a reason to justify each step. I dont get it and could someone do the first problem for me as an example? Thankyou.

Also another problem has an equal sign, = , with a slash going through it. What does that mean? Here's what that problem looks like:

abx = 1 (ab = 0)

This equal ^ sign in the parenthesis, (ab = 0), has a slash going through it. I have no idea what to do.

Answer 1

You can add,subtract,multiply and dividing the same number or variable from both sides of the equation because it keeps the equation equal.

Example:

4(9x-5)=20

1) divide both sides by 4

9x-5=20/4

9x-5=5

2) add +5 to both sides

9x-5+5=5+5

9x=10

3) divide by sides by 9

9x/9=10/9

x=10/9

Answer 2

Hopefully, you are sleeping as I am typing this out.  Always remember that the best thing to do to prepare for classes and especially prepare for examinations is get at least seven hours of sleep every night.  Students who get plenty of sleep are able to learn a lot more than others.

43a is called the distributive law:  a(b + c) = ab + ac

43b is true because if a = b, then a + c = b + c

43c is called the additive inverse law:  a + (- a) = 0

43d is true because if a = b, then a/c = b/c for any nonzero value c

43e is the multiplicative inverse law (12/12 = 1) together with the simple fact that 84/12 = 7

A slash through an equal sign simply means "unequal".  How that is spelled out on a personal computer, I have no idea.