Adding-subtracting same number on both side of an equation

Algebra I: Splitting an absolute value equation into two separate equations

This is a free lesson from our course in Algebra I


	This lesson explains how to solve an equation by adding or subtracting the same number to/from both sides of the equation. The basic rule is: in order to solve an equation, you use the additive inverse to isolate the term. Let's look at an example: x - 5 = 8 To solve an equation like this, we have to see how we can get x by itself on the left side. This is where adding or subtracting the same number on both sides of the equation comes into play, and helps us solve the equation. adding (or subtracting) the same number to both sides of an equation does not change its solution set.(More text below video...)

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(Continued from above) Think of the balance analogy—if both sides of the equation are equal, then increasing both sides by the same amount will change the value of each side, but they will still be equal. For example, if 3 = 3, then 3 + 2 = 3 + 2. Consequently, if 6 + x = 8 for some value of x (which in this case is x = 2), then you can add any number to both sides of the equation and x = 2 will still be the solution.

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