How do you solve the equation 3x + 2x + 5 = 4x + 2?

To solve the equation 3x + 2x + 5 = 4x + 2, we will follow these steps:

  1. Combine like terms on the left side:

    The left side of the equation can be simplified by combining the terms with x.

    So, 3x + 2x becomes 5x. Thus, the equation now looks like this:

    5x + 5 = 4x + 2

  2. Isolate the variable:

    Next, we want to get all terms involving x on one side of the equation and constant terms on the other side. To do this, we can subtract 4x from both sides:

    5x - 4x + 5 = 4x - 4x + 2

    This simplifies to:

    x + 5 = 2
  3. Subtract the constant:

    Now, we’ll isolate x completely by getting rid of the 5 on the left. Subtract 5 from both sides:

    x + 5 - 5 = 2 - 5

    This gives us:

    x = -3

So, the solution to the equation 3x + 2x + 5 = 4x + 2 is x = -3.

It’s always a good idea to double-check your solution by substituting -3 back into the original equation:

3(-3) + 2(-3) + 5 ?= 4(-3) + 2

Calculating each side:

-9 - 6 + 5 ?= -12 + 2
-10 ?= -10

Both sides are equal, confirming that our solution is correct!

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