if I was doing algebra and it was
3/5a - (-4)=5
would I first subtract 4 from each side since when you subtract a negative you actually add it?
yes
did you mean 3/(5a) for your first term or (3/5)a ?
Can you see how easy it would be to change the meaning? That is why it is so important to use brackets.
(3/5)a
First, subtract 4 from both sides (which you said above) then you have (3/5)a=1. Next, to get the a by itself, multiply both sides by the recripocal of 3/5. That leaves the variable by itself and gives you the answer. Be sure to simplify!
Yes, you are correct! In algebra, when you have a negative sign in front of parentheses or brackets, it means that you need to distribute or multiply the negative sign by each term inside the parentheses or brackets.
Let's solve the equation step by step:
1. Start with the equation:
3/5a - (-4) = 5
2. Simplify the expression in the parentheses by multiplying -1 with -4:
3/5a + 4 = 5
3. Now, to isolate the variable 'a', we'll subtract 4 from both sides of the equation:
3/5a + 4 - 4 = 5 - 4
3/5a = 1
4. Finally, to solve for 'a', we'll multiply both sides of the equation by the reciprocal of 3/5, which is 5/3:
(5/3)(3/5a) = (5/3)(1)
(5/3)*(3/5)a = 5/3
(5/3)*(3/5) cancels out, leaving:
a = 5/3
Therefore, the solution for the equation 3/5a - (-4) = 5 is a = 5/3.