Since -8 and 7 do not have common factors, we cannot divide them out. Consequently, we will have to use the distributive property and combine terms from there.
After Distributive Property:
-32 - 72x = -14 - 77x
Now we can add 77x to both sides of the equation in order to get all x terms on one side. This is another way of saying: combine terms.
After Addition of Equality:
-32 + 5x = -14
Like the x terms, we can do the same for the non-x terms.
After Addition of Equality:
5x = 18
In order to find the exact value of x alone, we have to divide out the coefficient of x: 5.
After Division of Equality:
x = 18/5
Final Answer: x=18/5 or 5 3/5 or 5.6
