Solving Linear Equations and Inequalities

A linear expression has only one variable, not raised to any power that is either added to,
subtracted from, multiplied by or divided by a number or constant.

When that expression has an equal sign in it, it becomes an equation

Example 1

Solve x + 7 = 12.

This is the simplest type of equation to solve.

What number added to 7equals 12?

The answer is 5(because 5 + 7 = 12).

Therefore, x = 5 is the solution.

Example 2

Solve y – 4 = 10.

This is very similar to Example 1.

What number minus 4 equals 10?

The answer is 14(because 14 – 4 = 10).

Therefore, y = 14 is the solution.

Example 3

Solve 3x = 5.

This is a different type of equation from the first two.

3 times a number represented by x is equal to 5.

To find x, divide both sides by 3.

5
x=
3
So, is the solution.
Example 4

Solve 4y + 3 = 11.

This equation is like Example 1 and Example 3 combined.

What number added to 3 equals 11?

The answer is 8 (because 8 + 3 = 11).

Therefore, 4y =8 , i.e.

4 times y equals 8.

8
y=
4
To find y, divide both sides by 4: =2

The solution is y =2.

Variables on both sides

Example 5 Solve 3x = x + 10

With this type of equation put all the x terms on the left hand side.

If we 'take away' the x term from the right hand side, we must do exactly the same thing to the
left hand side to keep the equation balanced.

3x – x = x + 10 - x

So 2x = 10

Therefore x = 5 is the solution.

Equations with brackets: We use the associative property of mathematics which says

a(b + c) = ab + ac

Example 6: Solve 2(3x – 7) + 4(3x + 2) = 6(5x + 9) + 3

Complete multiplication. 6x – 14 + 12x + 8 = 30x + 54 + 3

Group like terms on each side of the equal sign.

18x – 6 = 30x + 57

Subtract 18 x from both sides of the equation.

-6 = 12x + 57

Subtract 57 from both sides of the equation.

-63 =12x
Divide both sides of the equation by 12 and simplify.

63 21
x=− =−
12 4

21
x=−
The answer is 4

Example 7

Solve for x in the following equation.

3 5 125
x+ 6 =5 x−
Example 1: 4 3

Multiply both sides by the lowest common multiple of 4, 6, and 3, which is 12.
3 5 125
12( 4 x + 6 )=12(5 x− 3
)
3 5 125
Simplify: 12( 4 x )+ 12( 6 )=12(5 x )−12( 3
)

3(3x) + 2(5) = 60x - 500

9x + 10 = 60x - 500
Subtract 9x from both sides of the equation: 10 = 51x - 500
Add 500 to both sides of the equation: 510 = 51x
510
Divide both sides by 51: x = 51 = 10
The answer is x = 10.
6 x −7 3( x−5 ) 5 x +78
+ =
Example 8: 4 7 28

Get rid of the denominators by multiplying both sides by 28, the smallest number that 4,7, and 28
will divide into evenly.

Multiply by LCM:
28 ( 6 x−7
4 ) (
+ 28
3( x−5 )
7 ) (
=28
5 x+78
28 )
Remove the brackets 7(6x – 7) + 4(3x – 5) = 1(5x + 78)

42x – 49 + 12x – 20 = 5x + 78
Add the x terms and the constants on the left side of the equation.

54x – 69 = 5x + 78

Subtract 5x from both sides of the equation: 49x – 69 = 78

Add 69 to both sides of the equation: 49x = 147
Divide both sides by 49: x=3

Forming an equation

Example 9

Duke, Damian and Dwayne all collect foreign coins.

Duke has three times as many coins as Damian.

Dwayne has 8 coins more than Damian.

Damian has x coins.

Write down, in terms of x, the number of coins Duke has and the number of coins Dwayne has.
Duke has 3x (3 times x)

Dwayne has x + 8( 8 more than Damian)

If the three boys have 93 coins altogether, write down an equation and solve it for x.

x + 3x + x + 8 = 93

Therefore, 5x + 8 = 93 is the
equation.

5x = 85 or x = 17

Write down the number of coins each boy has.

Damian has17, Duke has 51 and Dwayne has 25 (Check 17 +51 + 25 equals 93).

Solving inequalities

With some inequalities, we deal with one number being less than another number, or with one
number being greater than another number.

 < stands for 'is less than' .( Note the sign looks like an L <ess than)
 > stands for 'is greater than'

For example, 4 < 5 and 3 > 2

For the inequality x < 3, x can be any number less than 3.

Inequalities are solved like equations except in the following

1. When dividing by a negative the inequality must also be changed

2. If a fraction is inverted the sign must be changed

Example 10 : Solve the inequality 2x < 5.

Divide both sides by 2.

 5
2
The solution is: x <

Example 11

2 1
≤
x 3
Solve the inequality

x 3
≥
2 1
Therefore ( Invert the fraction and change the inequality)

x≥6
The solution is (Multiply both sides by 2)

Example 12

Solve the inequality 2 – 4a < 5

Add 2 to both sides, to leave 4a on the left, by itself:

4a – 2 + 2 < 5 + 2

So, 4a < 7.

7
4
Therefore, the solution is. a <

Example 13

Solve the inequality 2(5 - y) < 16

10 – 2y < 16 (multiplying out the brackets.)

So, 10 - 2y - 10 – 10 < 16 - 10(subtracting 10 from both sides.)

-2y < 6
Therefore y > - 3(Change sign because we have divided both sides by – 2)

Number Lines

Inequalities can also be represented on number lines. Draw a number line and above the line
draw a line for each inequality, over the numbers for which it is true. At the end of these lines,
draw a circle. The circle should be filled in if the inequality can equal that number and left
unfilled if it cannot.

Example

On the number line below show the solution to these inequalities.

-7 ≤ 2x - 3 < 3

This can be split into the two inequalities:

-7 ≤ 2x - 3 and 2x - 3 < 3
∴ -4 ≤ 2x and 2x < 6
∴ -2 ≤ x and x<3

The circle is filled in at -2 because the first inequality specifies that x can equal -2, whereas x is
less than (and not equal to) 3 and so the circle is not filled in at 3.

>
<

The solution to the inequalities occurs where the two lines overlap, i.e. for -2 ≤ x < 3 .