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How do you solve #-x - 5x = 24#?

Answer 1

#x = -4 #

To solve this problem you first want to collect the like terms. You have two terms #-x# and #-5x#.

You combine these terms to form #-6x#. Instead of thinking of the problem as subtracting #5x# from #-x# you can think of it as adding #-5x# to #-x#.

To understand this you can simply write out the #x#'s individually.

#-x -x -x -x -x -x#

You notice that subtracting a negative from another negative is equivalent to adding the two negatives.

Next, we obtain:

#-6x = 24#

After collecting like terms you can divide #24# by #-6# to get the value of #x#.

#24/-6=-4#

#:. x = -4#

Therefore the answer is #-4#.

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Answer 2

Eva Adamson

To solve the equation -x - 5x = 24, combine like terms: -6x = 24. Then, divide both sides by -6 to isolate x: x = -4.

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Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.