Solve the equation. 4 times the square root of x minus 5 minus 8 = 12

I think I got it, its 20

is it

4√x - 5 - 8 = 12
or
4√(x-5) - 8 = 12
I think the latter or else they would have combined the -5 and -8

so 4√(x-5) = 20
√(x-5) = 5
square both sides
x-5 = 25
x = 30

To solve the equation 4 times the square root of x minus 5 minus 8 equals 12, we follow these steps:

Step 1: Start by isolating the term with the square root of x.
4√x - 5 - 8 = 12 (original equation)
4√x - 13 = 12 (combined like terms)

Step 2: Now, isolate the term with the square root of x.
4√x = 12 + 13 (adding 13 on both sides)
4√x = 25 (simplifying the right side)

Step 3: To remove the square root, square both sides of the equation.
(4√x)^2 = 25^2 (squaring both sides)
16x = 625 (simplifying)

Step 4: Solve for x.
x = 625 / 16 (dividing both sides by 16)
x ≈ 39.06

Thus, the solution to the equation 4 times the square root of x minus 5 minus 8 equals 12 is x ≈ 39.06.