Algebra 1: Common Core (15th Edition)

Published by Prentice Hall
ISBN 10: 0133281140
ISBN 13: 978-0-13328-114-9

Chapter 1 - Foundations for Algebra - 1-8 An Introduction to Equations - Practice and Problem-Solving Exercises - Page 56: 36

Answer

a=5

Work Step by Step

In order to solve this algebraic expression, we must isolate the variable. A variable is the letter in the problem (for instance, in the equation 2x=10, x is the variable). Because multiplication and division are inverse operations (they cancel each other out), we know we must divide when a number is being multiplied by the variable and multiply when the variable is being divided by a number. In the equation 20a=100, we must get rid of the 20, which the variable is being multiplied by, in order to solve. Thus, we divide both sides by 20 to find that a=5.
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