SOLVING LINEAR EQUATIONS

© Oxford University Press 2016

Example
1 Solve 2x  3  11

2x  3  11 take 3 from both sides

2x  3  3  11 3

2x  8 divide both sides by 2

2x 8

2 2
x4

© Oxford University Press 2016

Example
2 Solve 3x  2  16

3x  2  16 add 2 to both sides

3x  2  2  16  2

3x  18 divide both sides by 3

3x 18

3 3
x6

© Oxford University Press 2016

Example
3 Solve 2(3x  1)  4x  5

2(3x  1)  4x  5 expand the brackets

6x  2  4x  5 take 4x from both sides

6x  2  4x  4x  5  4x

2x  2  5 add 2 to both sides

2x  2  2  5  2

2x  7 divide both sides by 2

2x 7

2 2
1
x3
2
© Oxford University Press 2016
Example
4 Solve 12(x  1)  2(2x  9)

12(x  1)  2(2x  9) expand the brackets

12x  12  4x  18 take 4x from both sides

8x  12  18 add 12 to both sides

8x  30 divide both sides by 8

30
x
8
3
x3
4

© Oxford University Press 2016

Example
5 Solve 2(3x  1)  (2x  5)  15

2(3x  1)  (2x  5)  15 expand the brackets

6x  2  2x  5  15 simplify

4x  7  15 take 7 from both sides

4x  8 divide both sides by 4

x2

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Example
5 Solve 7x  5  41 3x

7x  5  41 3x add 3x to both sides

10x  5  41 add 5 to both sides

10x  46 divide both sides by 10

46
x
10
x  4.6

© Oxford University Press 2016

Example
6 Solve 5  2(x  1)  3x  7

5  2(x  1)  3x  7 expand the brackets

5  2x  2  3x  7 simplify

3  2x  3x  7 add 2x to both sides

3  5x  7 add 7 to both sides

10  5x divide both sides by 5

x2

© Oxford University Press 2016

Example
7 The three angles of the triangle are shown in terms of x.
70  3x NOT TO
a Find the value of x. SCALE
b Write down the size of each angle in the triangle.

5x  20 x  24

a 5x  20  70  3x  x  24  180 simplify

3x  114  180 take 114 from both sides

3x  66 divide both sides by 3

x  22
b 5x  20  5  22  20  110  20  130
70  3x  70  3  22  70  66  4 Angles are:
130o, 4o and 46o
x  24  22  24  46
© Oxford University Press 2016
Example 4(x  1)
8 Find the length of a side of this square.
All lengths are in cm.
2(3x  2)

2(3x  2)  4(x  1) expand the brackets

6x  4  4x  4 take 4x from both sides

2x  4  4 add 4 to both sides

2x  8 divide both sides by 2

x4

Length of side = 4(x  1)  4  (4  1)  4  5  20 cm

© Oxford University Press 2016

Example 7x  9
9 Find the length of the rectangle.
All lengths are in cm.

5(7  3x)

7x  9  5(7  3x) expand the brackets

7x  9  35  15x add 15x to both sides

22x  9  35 add 9 to both sides

22x  44 divide both sides by 2

x2

Length of rectangle = 7x  9  7  2  9  14  9  5 cm

© Oxford University Press 2016

Example
10 Expression A is 7 more than expression B.
Find the value of x.
A B
7(x  4) 3(x  5)

7(x  4)  7  3(x  5) expand the brackets

7x  28  7  3x  15 simplify

7x  21 3x  15 take 3x from both sides

4x  21 15 take 21 from both sides

4x  36 divide both sides by 4

x  9
© Oxford University Press 2016
Example
x
11 Solve  5  10
3

x
 5  10 add 5 to both sides
3
x
 15 multiply both sides by 3
3
x
3  3  15
3

x  45

© Oxford University Press 2016

Example
x4
12 Solve 3
7

x4
3 multiply both sides by 7
7
x4
7 73
7

x  4  21 take 4 from both sides

x  17

© Oxford University Press 2016

Example
2x  3
13 Solve 6
5

2x  3
6 multiply both sides by 5
5

2x  3  30 add 3 to both sides

2x  33 divide both sides by 2

1
x  16
2

© Oxford University Press 2016

Example
5
14 Solve 37
x

5
37 take 3 from both sides
x
5
4 multiply both sides by x
x

5  4x divide both sides by 4

5
x
4
1
x 1
4

© Oxford University Press 2016

Example
5
15 Solve 6 
x2

5
6 multiply both sides by (x + 2)
x2

6(x  2)  5 expand the brackets

6x  12  5 take 12 from both sides

6x  7 divide both sides by 6

7
x
6
1
x  1
6 © Oxford University Press 2016
Example
15 Solve x6 x4

3 5

x6 x4
 multiply both sides by 15
3 5
5 (x  6) 3 (x  4)
15   15  expand the brackets
3 5

5x  30  3x  12 take 3x from both sides

2x  30  12 add 30 to both sides

2x  42 divide both sides by 2

x  21
© Oxford University Press 2016
There is a quicker method for doing the last example.
The quick method can be used when there is a ‘single’ fraction on each side of
the ‘=‘ sign.

x6 x4
 ‘cross multiply’
3 5

5(x  6)  3(x  4) expand the brackets

5x  30  3x  12 take 3x from both sides

2x  30  12 add 30 to both sides

2x  42 divide both sides by 2

x  21
© Oxford University Press 2016
Example
16 Solve 8  x 2x  2

2 5

8  x 2x  2
 ‘cross multiply’
2 5

5(8  x)  2(2x  2) expand the brackets

40  5x  4x  4 add 5x to both sides

40  9x  4 take 4 from both sides

36  9x divide both sides by 9

x4
© Oxford University Press 2016
Example
17 Solve 3(x  1) 2x  1

4 3

3(x  1) 2x  1
 ‘cross multiply’
4 3

3  3(x  1)  4(2x  1) expand the brackets

9x  9  8x  4 take 8x from both sides

x  9  4 add 9 to both sides

x5

© Oxford University Press 2016