Marina is solving the equation below by using the multiplicative inverse, or the reciprocal.
One-fifth (x minus 2) = 20
By which number should Marina multiply both sides of the equation as the first step in solving it
(1/5) (x - 2) = 20
multiply left and right by 5
To solve the given equation using the multiplicative inverse, Marina needs to multiply both sides of the equation by the reciprocal of the coefficient in front of the variable (x). In this case, the coefficient is 1/5.
The reciprocal of 1/5 is obtained by flipping the fraction, so the reciprocal is 5/1, which is simply 5.
Therefore, Marina should multiply both sides of the equation by 5 as the first step in solving it. This will eliminate the fraction and allow her to isolate the variable x.