109-x=96 cannot figure out why 13 keeps coming up as the answer. Seems like you should be adding 109 to both sides; any help?

Subtract 109 from both sides. You need to get the x by itself.

109-x=96

To solve the equation 109 - x = 96, you need to isolate the variable x on one side of the equation.

First, let's rearrange the equation by adding x to both sides to move the constant term (-x) to the right side:

109 - x + x = 96 + x

Simplifying this equation, we get:

109 = 96 + x

To isolate x, we need to move the constant term (96) to the left side by subtracting 96 from both sides:

109 - 96 = 96 - 96 + x

The equation simplifies to:

13 = x

So, the value of x that satisfies the equation is 13.

It seems you might be confused about why the constant term on the left side doesn't remain as 109 after adding x to both sides. The reason is that when we add or subtract the same number (in this case, x) to both sides of the equation, we change the terms on both sides, not just one side. In this case, when we added x to both sides, the 109 on the left side canceled out with the -x on the right side, leaving only 13 = x.

I hope this explanation clarifies why 13 is the correct answer for x in the equation 109 - x = 96.