Chapter 2

Section 3

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

2.3
1

More on Solving Linear Equations

Learn and use the four steps for solving a

linear equation.
Solve equations with fractions or decimals as
coefficients.
Solve equations with no solution or infinitely
many solutions.
Write expressions for two related unknown
quantities.
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Objective 1

Learn and use the four steps for

solving a linear equation.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Slide 2.3 - 3

Learn and use the four steps for solving a

linear
equation.
We solve
more complicated equations using the following
four-step method.
Step 1: Simplify each side separately. Clear parentheses,
using the distributive property if needed, and combine
all like terms.
Step 2: Isolate the variable term on one side. Use the
addition property if necessary so that the variable term
is on one side of the equation and a number is on the
other.
Step 3: Isolate the variable. Use the multiplication property
if necessary to get the equation in the form x = a
number. (Other letters may be used for variables.)
Step 4: Check. Substitute the proposed solution into the
original equation to see if a true statement results.
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Slide 2.3 - 4

EXAMPLE 1
Solve.

Using the Four Steps to Solve

an Equation

3 x 5 x 6 11 2 x 5

Solution:

Check:

8 x 5 2 x 5

3x 5 x 6 11 2 x 5
8 x 5 2 x 2 x 5 2 x 3 1 5 6 11 2 1 5
10 x 5 5 5 5
3 5 6 11 2 5
10 x 10

10 10
x 1
The solution set of the equation is {1}.
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Slide 2.3 - 5

EXAMPLE 2

Using the Four Steps to Solve

an Equation

Solve. 11 3 a 1 5a 16
Solution:
11 3a 3 5a 16

Check:

11 3 a 1 5a 16

14 3a 5a 5a 16 5a 11 3 1 1 5 1 16
14 2a 14 16 14
11 3 0 5 16
2a 2

11 11
2 2
x 1
The solution set of the equation is {1}.
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Slide 2.3 - 6

EXAMPLE 3

Using the Four Steps to Solve

an Equation

4 x ( x 7) 9

Solve.
Solution:

4 x 1( x 7) 9
4x x 7 9

3x 7 7 9 7

3x 16

3
3
16
x
3

Check:

4 x ( x 7) 9

16
4
3
64

The solution set of the equation is

16

7 9
3

16 21
27

3 3
3
64 37
27

3 3
3
27 27

3
3
16
.
3

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Slide 2.3 - 7

EXAMPLE 3
Solve.

Using the Four Steps to Solve

an Equation

4 x ( x 7) 9

Be very careful with signs when solving an equation like the one in
the previous example. When clearing parentheses in the
expression remember that the sign acts like a factor of 1 and
affects the sign of every term within the parentheses.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Slide 2.3 - 8

EXAMPLE 4
Solve.

Using the Four Steps to Solve

an Equation

2 3 2 6 z 4 z 1 14

Solution:

2 6 18 z 4 z 4 14
4 18 z 4 z 4 z 18 4 z

4 22 z 4 18 4

Check:
2 3 2 6 z 4 z 1 14

2 3 2 6 1 4 1 1 14
2 3(2 6) 4 0 14

2 3(4) 14
22 z 22

2 12 14
22 22
14 14
z 1
The solution set of the equation is {1}.
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Slide 2.3 - 9

Objective 2

Solve equations with fractions or

decimals as coefficients.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Slide 2.3 - 10

Solve equations with fractions or

decimals as coefficients.
We clear an equation of fractions by multiplying
each side by the least common denominator (LCD) of
all the fractions in the equation. It is a good idea to do
this to avoid messy computations.
Make sure to multiply each term of the equation by the LCD. It is
best to identify how many terms are in the equation before
multiplying.
When clearing an equation of fractions, be sure to
multiply every term on each side of the equation by
the LCD.
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Slide 2.3 - 11

EXAMPLE 5
Solve.

Solving an Equation with

Fractions as Coefficients

1
5
3 1
x
x
3
12 4 2

Solution:

1
5
3
1
12 x 12 12 12 x
3
12
4
2

4x 5 4x 9 6x 4x

5 9 9 2x 9
14 2 x

2
2

x 7

Check:

1
5
3 1
x
x
3
12 4 2

1
5
3 1
7 7
3
12 4 2
7 5
3 7

3 12 4
2
28 5
9
42

12 12 12
12
33 33

12
12

The solution set of the equation is {7}.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Slide 2.3 - 12

EXAMPLE 6

Solving an Equation with

Decimals as Coefficients

Solve. 0.5 2 3 x 4.5 0.1 x 7

Solution:

10 0.5 2 3x 10 4.5 10 0.1 x 7

5 2 5 3 x 45 x 7

10 15 x x 38 x x
10 14 x 10 38 10
14 x 28

14 14
x 2
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Slide 2.3 - 13

an Equation with
EXAMPLE 6 Solving
Decimals as Coefficients
(Check)

Check: 0.5 2 3 x 4.5 0.1 x 7

5 2 5 3 2 45 2 7

10 5 6 47 7

10 30 40
40 40

The solution set of the equation is {2}.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Slide 2.3 - 14

Objective 3

Solve equations with no solution

or infinitely many solutions.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Slide 2.3 - 15

Solve equations with no solution or

infinitely many solutions.
Each equation that we have solved so far has had exactly one
solution. An equation with exactly one solution is a
conditional equation because it is only true under certain
conditions. Sometimes equations may have no solution or
infinitely many solutions.

DO NOT write { 0 } as the solution set. There are infinitely many

other solutions.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Slide 2.3 - 16

EXAMPLE 7
Solve.

Solving an Equation That Has

Infinitely Many Solutions

3 x x 10 2 x 4 14
Solution:
2 x 10 2 x 10
2 x 10 2 x 2 x 10 2 x
10 10 10 10
00

The variable has disappeared. Since the last statement is

true, any real number is a solution. An equation with both sides
exactly the same, is called an identity. An identity is true for
all replacements of the variables. As shown above, write the
solution set as {all real numbers}.
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Slide 2.3 - 17

EXAMPLE 8

Solving an Equation That Has

No Solution.

Solve. 3 x 8 6 x 1 3 x
Solution:
3x 8 6 x 6 3x
3x 8 3x 3x 6 3x
86
Again, the variable has disappeared, but this time a false
statement results. When this happens in solving an equation, it
indicates that the equation has no solution and is called a
contradiction. Its solution set is the empty set, or null set,
symbolized .
DO NOT write { } to represent the empty set.
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Slide 2.3 - 18

Solve equations with no solution or

infinitely many solutions.
The following table summarizes the solution sets of the three
types of equations presented so far.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Slide 2.3 - 19

Objective 4

Write expressions for two related

unknown quantities.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Slide 2.3 - 20

EXAMPLE 9

Translating a Phrase into an

Algebraic Expression

One number is 5 more than twice another. If the first

number is represented by x, write an expression for the
second number.
Solution:

2x 5

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Slide 2.3 - 21