When solving the problem 4^5x-3 = 16^x+6, your friend does the following:
4^5x-3 = 4^(x+6
5x - 3 = x + 6
4x = 9
x = 9/4
Was this correct?
a. Yes, this is correct. No error was made.
b. No, in step 1 when the 16 changed to 4, it should have been 4^2 and the 2 distributed to the current exponent.
c. No, the bases of 4 and 16 should have been changed to a base of 2, giving us 2^2 and 2^4 respectively.
d. No, in step 2, the 4 should have been distributed to the current exponents. This would change the equation and yield a different final answer.