Write a real-life situation to fit the following equation. Then, solve the equation in two different ways. Show all the steps. Finally, choose which solution method you liked best and explain your reason. 8(x+9)=144 Can u make it 2 sentences
In a department store, there are 8 racks with the same number of shirts on each rack plus 9 more shirts, totaling 144 shirts. By using the distributive property, it can be determined that there are 12 shirts on each rack in the department store.
To solve the equation, one way is to first distribute the 8 to both terms inside the parentheses and then simplify further: 8(x+9) = 8x + 72 = 144. Then, subtracting 72 from both sides gives 8x = 72. Finally, dividing both sides by 8 yields x = 9.
Alternatively, another method is to simplify the equation before distributing the 8: 8(x+9) = 144. First, subtracting 72 from both sides results in 8(x+9) - 72 = 0. Distributing the 8 and further simplifying gives 8x + 72 - 72 = 0, which becomes 8x = 0. Finally, dividing both sides by 8 gives x = 0.
I personally prefer the second solution method as it allows me to isolate the variable on one side of the equation before performing the necessary simplifications. This method feels more organized and reduces the chances of making arithmetic errors.