a student solved the equation x/4 +5=1 without showing all the work. the student's solution is incorrect. what error did the student make?
What was the student's solution?
To determine the error the student made, we need to evaluate the given equation and identify any mistakes. Let's start by analyzing the equation:
x/4 + 5 = 1
To solve this equation, we can isolate x by subtracting 5 from both sides:
x/4 = 1 - 5
x/4 = -4
At this point, we can see the mistake made by the student. The student likely incorrectly subtracted 5 from 1, resulting in a value of -4.
To correct this error, the student should have subtracted 5 from both sides correctly:
x/4 = 1 - 5
x/4 = -4
Now, we need to multiply both sides of the equation by 4 to eliminate the fraction:
(4)(x/4) = (4)(-4)
x = -16
Thus, the student's error was incorrectly subtracting 5 from 1, which led to the incorrect solution of x = -4 instead of the correct solution x = -16.