An equation is like a sentence in math. It states that two quantities are equal. For example, 5 + 3 = 8 is a simple equation.
It has numbers (5, 3, and 8), an operation (addition), and an equals sign. Equations can also have unknowns or variables represented by letters like x, y, or z.
For instance, x + 2 = 6 is an equation where we don’t know the value of x.
A solution to an equation is the value we can substitute for the unknown variable that makes the equation true.
For example, let’s consider the equation x + 2 = 6 again. We can find the solution by figuring out what number we need to add to 2 to get 6.
The process of finding the solution to an equation is often called “solving the equation” or solving for x. Let’s solve this equation: x + 2 = 6.
To solve it, we need to isolate x.
To do this, we can do the opposite operation to what’s being done to x.
Since we’re adding 2 to x in this equation, let’s subtract 2 from both sides of the equation.
Remember, what we do to one side of the equation, we must do to the other side to keep it balanced. x + 2 – 2 = 6 – 2.
This simplifies to: x = 4. So, the solution to the equation x + 2 = 6 is x = 4.
Always check your solution by substituting it back into the original equation. If we plug x = 4 back into the equation, we get: 4 + 2 = 6, which is true.
So, our solution, x = 4, is correct.
That’s a basic introduction to equations and how to find their solutions!
Sometimes, equations get more complex, but the basic principle remains the same: find the value that makes the equation true.
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