Intermediate Test Prep Math 8 (Grade 7) Multi-Step Equations

Sometimes we have to move variables to one side of the equation in order to solve it...

5a - 17 = 2a - 5

We must first move 2a to the other side of the equation by doing the opposite.

5a - 2a - 17 = 2a -2a -5

Now this is a two-step equation...

3a - 17 = -5
3a - 17 + 17 = -5 + 17
3a = 12
a = 4

Here's another one:

4n - 5 = 2n + 3
4n - 2n - 5 = 2n - 2n + 3
2n - 5 = 3
2n - 5 + 5 = 3 + 5
2n = 8
n = 4

Click here to look at one more type of multi-step equations -
using the distributive property.

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