1. Solve the following problem. Show ALL steps to receive full credit.

5x + x + x - 6 - 2 = 8 + 2x + x a. Simplify by combining like terms.

State your equation

Combining like terms just means putting together all the same variables. On the left side, 5x + x + x are all like terms and yoh get a total of 7x. Then - 6 - 2 is - 8. Left side in total is 7x - 8. As for the right side, is "a" a variable too?

7x-8=8+3x

4x=16

x=4

20+4+4-6-2=8+2*4+4=20