Solve a problem

Linear equationsAlgebraMiddle schoolabout 0:46

Solve for x: 3x - 18 = 16: animated lesson

A narrated, step-by-step linear equations video lesson with captions. Final answer: x = 34/3 ≈ 11.333333.

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Video with a synthetic English voice and captions. Pick another language for subtitles in that language, or open the interactive version.

Video narrated by a synthetic voice (Piper TTS, en_US-ljspeech-high voice (LJ Speech dataset, public domain)); the steps come from our maths engine and the answer was checked independently. Download MP4 (0.3 MB) · Captions (WebVTT)

Steps on screen

1. The problem
Solving an equation
$3~ x-18 = 16$
2. Step by step
1. $3~ x-18 = 16$
  Start with the equation
2. $3x = 34$
  Add 18 to both sides
3. $x = \frac{34}{3} = \frac{34}{3}$
  Divide both sides by 3
3. The answer
$x = \frac{34}{3} \approx 11.333333$
x = 34/3 ≈ 11.333333
4. Check
- x = 11.333333: left side = 16, right side = 16 ✓

Transcript

The problem. Here is the problem: 3x minus 18 equals 16. A linear equation in x: isolate x using inverse operations.

Step by step. Start with the equation. Add 18 to both sides. Divide both sides by 3.

The answer. So the answer is x equals 34 over 3 approximately 11.333333. Doing the same operation to both sides keeps the equation balanced. Undoing addition, then multiplication, leaves x alone.

Check. x equals 11.333333: left side equals 16, right side equals 16, which checks out.

About linear equations

Solve one-variable linear equations, including ones with brackets and fractions, and check the solution.

Solve for x: 3x - 18 = 16: Animated Step-by-Step Lesson