7 Solving Equations

Tips for Students

Subtract 8 from each side
first.
8

7 Solving

Equations

Equation

When two expressions are related by an sign, it is called an equation.

1. Solve the equation 3x 8 32. 3x 8 32

Solution:
3 x 8 32
3 x 8 8 32 8
3 x 24
3x 24

3 3
x8 2x 5 19
2x 5 5 19 5
2x 24
1
2x 24

Solve the equation 2x 5 19. 2x 5 19 2 2
x 12

x 8 x 8
2. Solve the equation 12 . 12
4 4

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Solution:
x 8
12
4
x 8
4 12 4
4
x 8 48
x 56

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 7 Solving Equations

x 12
15
3
2 x 12
x 12 x 12 3 15 3
Solve the equation 15 . 15 3
3 3 x 12 45
x 33

3. Andy has $31 which is $4 more than 3 times that Eric has. Find the amount that Eric has.
$31 3 $4

Solution:
Let $x be the amount that Eric has. $x
3 x 4 31
3 x 31 4 Let $x be the price of a toy train.
3 x 27 3( x 8) 72
x9 x 8 72 3
Eric has $9. $9 x 8 24
x 32
The price of a toy train is $32.
3

A toy car is $8 cheaper than a toy train. Gary uses $72 to buy 3 toy cars. How much is a toy train?
$8 $72 3

In each of the following (1 4), put a for the correct answer.

1 4
1. Which of the following is the solution of the equation 5x 55?
5x 55

A. 1 B. 10 C. 11 D. 15

2. Which of the following is the solution of the equation 2x 5 27?

2x 5 27
B. 16
A. 11 C. 25 D. 32

3. Which of the following equations does not have 5 as the solution?

5
x 1 D. x 3
A. x 5 0 B. C. 4x 20
10 2 2

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4. Which of the following equations has 8 as the solution?

8
x
A. x 7 1 B. 2x 4 6 C. x 4 12 D. 3
2

Solve the following equations (5 22).

5 22
5. x 3 5 6. x 6 25 7. 10 x 2
x3 5 x 6 25 10 x 2
x 53 x 25 6 10 2 x
x 31 x 8
x2

1 x x
8. 12x 60 9. x 12 10. 1 2 1 2
4 8 8
12 x 60 x
1 2 1
x 60 12 x 12
4 8
x5 x 12 4 x 1 8
x 48 x 8

11. 2x 7 25 12. 4x 14 74 13. 14 3x 23

2 x 7 25 4 x 14 74 14 3 x 23
2 x 25 7 4 x 74 14 3 x 23 14
x 32 2 x 60 4 9
x 16 x 15
x
3
x3
x 25 x 17
14. 16 15. 4 16. 17 2x 11
3 13
17 2 x 11
x 25 x 17
16 4 17 11 2 x
3 13
x 25 16 3 x 17 4 13 62 x
x 3
x 48 25 x 52 17
x 73 x 35
3
17. 11 2x 19 18. 25 5x 40 19. ( x 1) 6
11 2 x 19
4
25 5 x 40 3
2 x 19 11 5 x 40 25 ( x 1) 6
4
x 82 x 15 5
2
4
x4 x3 x 1 6
3
x 8 1
x9
2x
20. 4(x 17) 52 21. 7(13 x) 91 22. 7 19
5
4( x 17) 52 7(13 x) 91 2x
x 17 52 4 7 19
13 x 91 7 5
x 13 17 x 13 13 2x
x 30 19 7
x 0 56
5
x 12
2
x 30

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23. Two pears cost $4. How much is a pear?

$4
Let $x be the cost of a pear.
2x 4
x 42
x 2
The cost of a pear is $2.

24. Mr. Chan has driven for 42 km which is two-fifths of the whole journey. What is the distance
of the whole journey?
42 km
Let x km be the distance of the whole journey.
2
x 42
5
2 x 42 5
x 210 2
x 105
The distance of the whole journey is 105 km.

25. Candy has $60 pocket money. Her pocket money is $12 less than one-third that of her
brother. How much pocket money does her brother have?
$60 $12
Let $x be the pocket money that Candys brother has.
1
x 12 60
3
1
x 72
3
x 216
Candys brother has $216 pocket money.

26. Fanny bought some stickers. After giving 6 stickers to Betty, she divided the rest into 3 equal
parts. If each part had 18 stickers, how many stickers did she buy?
6
18

Let x be the number of stickers that Fanny bought.

x6
18
3
x 6 18 3
x 54 6
x 60
Fanny bought 60 stickers.

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27. In the figure, the length and the width of the rectangle are
18 cm and (x 7) cm respectively. If the perimeter of the
rectangle is 54 cm, find the value of x.
18 cm (x 7) cm
54 cm x
[18 ( x 7)] 2 54
18 x 7 27
11 x 27
x 16

28. In the figure, the area of the rectangle is 108 cm2. Find the
value of x.
108 cm2 x
12 ( x 4) 108
x 4 108 12
x 94
x 13

29. If the price of a robot is reduced by $15, one can buy 4 robots with $260. How much does a
robot cost originally?
$15 4 $260

Let $x be the original cost of a robot.

4(x 15) 260
x 15 260 4
x 65 + 15
x 80
The original cost of a robot is $80.

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