Algebra: Linear equations 4 | Linear equations | Algebra I | Khan Academy

Welcome to the presentation on
level four linear equations.

So, let's start doing
some problems.

So.

Let's say I had the situation--
let me give me a couple of

problems-- if I said 3 over x
is equal to, let's just say 5.

So, what we want to do -- this
problem's a little unusual from

everything we've ever seen.

Because here, instead of having
x in the numerator, we actually

have x in the denominator.

So, I personally don't like
having x's in my denominators,

so we want to get it outside of
the denominator into a

numerator or at least not in
the denominator as

soon as possible.

So, one way to get a number out
of the denominator is, if we

were to multiply both sides of
this equation by x, you see

that on the left-hand side of
the equation these two

x's will cancel out.

And in the right side,
you'll just get 5 times x.

So this equals -- the
two x's cancel out.

And you get 3 is equal to 5x.

Now, we could also write
that as 5x is equal to 3.

And then we can think
about this two ways.

We either just multiply both
sides by 1/5, or you could just

do that as dividing by 5.

If you multiply
both sides by 1/5.

The left-hand side becomes x.

And the right-hand side, 3
times 1/5, is equal to 3/5.

So what did we do here?

This is just like, this
actually turned into a level

two problem, or actually a
level one problem,

very quickly.

All we had to do is multiply
both sides of this

equation by x.

And we got the x's out
of the denominator.

Let's do another problem.

Let's have -- let me say,
x plus 2 over x plus 1 is

equal to, let's say, 7.

So, here, instead of having
just an x in the denominator,

we have a whole x plus
1 in the denominator.

But we're going to
do it the same way.

To get that x plus 1 out of the
denominator, we multiply both

sides of this equation times x
plus 1 over 1 times this side.

Since we did it on the
left-hand side we also have

to do it on the right-hand
side, and this is just 7/1,

times x plus 1 over 1.

On the left-hand side, the
x plus 1's cancel out.

And you're just left
with x plus 2.

It's over 1, but we can
just ignore the 1.

And that equals 7
times x plus 1.

And that's the same
thing as x plus 2.

And, remember, it's 7 times
the whole thing, x plus 1.

So we actually have to use
the distributive property.

And that equals 7x plus 7.

So now it's turned into a,
I think this is a level

three linear equation.

And now all we do is, we say
well let's get all the x's on

one side of the equation.

And let's get all the constant
terms, like the 2 and the 7, on

the other side of the equation.

So I'm going to choose to
get the x's on the left.

So let's bring that
7x onto the left.

And we can do that by
subtracting 7x from both sides.

Minus 7x, plus,
it's a minus 7x.

The right-hand side, these
two 7x's will cancel out.

And on the left-hand side
we have minus 7x plus x.

Well, that's minus 6x plus
2 is equal to, and on the

right all we have left is 7.

Now we just have to
get rid of this 2.

And we can just do that by
subtracting 2 from both sides.

And we're left with minus
6x packs is equal to 6.

Now it's a level one problem.

We just have to multiply both
sides times the reciprocal

of the coefficient on
the left-hand side.

And the coefficient's
negative 6.

So we multiply both sides of
the equation by negative 1/6.

Negative 1/6.

The left-hand side, negative
1 over 6 times negative 6.

Well that just equals 1.

So we just get x is equal
to 5 times negative 1/6.

Well, that's negative 5/6.

And we're done.

And if you wanted to check it,
you could just take that x

equals negative 5/6 and put it
back in the original question

to confirm that it worked.

Let's do another one.

I'm making these up on
the fly, so I apologize.

Let me think.

3 times x plus 5 is equal
to 8 times x plus 2.

Well, we do the
same thing here.

Although now we have two
expressions we want to get

out of the denominators.

We want to get x plus 5
out and we want to get

this x plus 2 out.

So let's do the x plus 5 first.

Well, just like we did before,
we multiply both sides of

this equation by x plus 5.

You can say x plus 5 over 1.

Times x plus 5 over 1.

On the left-hand side,
they get canceled out.

So we're left with 3 is equal
to 8 times x plus five.

All of that over x plus 2.

Now, on the top, just to
simplify, we once again

just multiply the 8 times
the whole expression.

So it's 8x plus 40
over x plus 2.

Now, we want to get
rid of this x plus 2.

So we can do it the same way.

We can multiply both sides
of this equation by

x plus 2 over 1.

x plus 2.

We could just say we're
multiplying both

sides by x plus 2.

The 1 is little unnecessary.

So the left-hand side
becomes 3x plus 6.

Remember, always distribute
3 times, because you're

multiplying it times
the whole expression.

x plus 2.

And on the right-hand side.

Well, this x plus 2 and this
x plus 2 will cancel out.

And we're left with 8x plus 40.

And this is now a
level three problem.

Well, if we subtract 8x from
both sides, minus 8x, plus-- I

think I'm running out of space.

Minus 8x.

Well, on the right-hand
side the 8x's cancel out.

On the left-hand side we have
minus 5x plus 6 is equal

to, on the right-hand side
all we have left is 40.

Now we can subtract 6 from
both sides of this equation.

Let me just write out here.

Minus 6 plus minus 6.

Now I'm going to, hope I
don't lose you guys by

trying to go up here.

But if we subtract minus 6 from
both sides, on the left-hand

side we're just left with
minus 5x equals, and on the

right-hand side we have 34.

Now it's a level one problem.

We just multiply both
sides times negative 1/5.

Negative 1/5.

On the left-hand
side we have x.

And on the right-hand side
we have negative 34/5.

Unless I made some careless
mistakes, I think that's right.

And I think if you understood
what we just did here, you're

ready to tackle some level
four linear equations.

Have fun.