Question

in the equation 6x-2=4x+2, spencer claims that te first step is to add 4x to both sides. Jeremiah claims that the first step is to subtract 6x from both sides. Who is correct? explain.

Answer 1

Either is correct when you do the same thing on both side, however in this scenario Jeremiah is correct because he does not have to do more step.

Answer 2

JEREMIAH is correct. In the equation above, the 6x is positive. That would mean inverse operations, which would then mean subtracting 6x from both sides. This is why Jeremiah is correct.

Spencer would have been correct, if he had said that you would have to subtract 4x from both sides. The 4x in the above equation is positive, therefore inverse operations demand he subtract, not add. That is why he is incorrect.