Equations with one variable may be solved using transposition skills to make the variable the subject

of the equation.
Using a sequence of inverse operations to ‘undo’ the equation
3(2x + 7) = -15….
…. becomes….
x = -6

Simple equations
Examples
1. m + 4 = -2
m + 4 - 4 = -2 – 4 [subtract 4 both sides]
m = -6

2. p–2=5
p–2+2=5+2 [add 2 both sides]
p = 7

3. 3g = 18
3𝑔 18
= [divide 3 both sides]
3 3

g = 6

𝑦
4. = -5
4
𝑦
4
× 4 = -5 x 4 [multiply by 4 both sides]

y = -20

ES1 – Linear Equations Page 1 of 4 July 2018

 More complex equations
With more complicated equations more than one inverse operation may need to be applied
Examples
1. 2w – 3 = -17
2w = -14 [add 3 to both sides]
w = -7 [divide 2 both sides]

3d
2. + 5 = 7
4
3d
= 2 [subtract 5 each side]
4
3d = 8 [ multiply 4 each side]
8
d = [divide 3 each side]
3

With practice more than one operation can be done in the same line:

3. 3c + 1 = c – 5 [move all terms with ‘c’ to one side of the equation]

3c – c = -5 – 1 [subtract c, subtract 1 each side]
2c = -6
c = -3 [divide 2 each side]

Look at the examples below for techniques to deal with equations that contain brackets and fractions

4. 3(5 – 2j) = 33 [expand the brackets first]

15 – 6j = 33
-6j = 18 [subtract 15 each side]
j = -3 [divide (-6) each side]

5. 2(3k – 1) = 5(k + 7)
6k – 2 = 5k + 35
6k – 5k = 35 + 2 [subtract 5k, add 2 each side]
k = 37

ES1 – Linear Equations Page 2 of 4 July 2018

 𝑎 𝑐
With just one fraction on each side of the equality use cross multiplication: = ⇒ ad = bc
𝑏 𝑑

h 1 h
6. =
3 4
4(h + 1) = 3h [ cross multiplying]
4h + 4 = 3h [expand brackets]
h = -4 [subtract 3h, subtract 4 each side]

2 z  11 z 3
7. =
7 12
12(2z + 11) = 7(z – 3) [cross multiplying]
24z + 132 = 7z -21 [expand brackets]
17z = -153 [subtract 7z, subtract 132 each side]
z = -9

When cross multiplication is not appropriate fractions may be removed by multiplying both sides of
the equation by the lowest common multiple (LCM) 0f all the denominators:

3u 1
8.  7 [ NB: 7  7
 LCM for 4, 3 and 1 is 12]
4 3 1

3u 1
 12   12  7  12 [multiply each side by the LCM]
4 3
9u - 4 = 84 [simplify]
u = 88
88
u =
9

ES1 – Linear Equations Page 3 of 4 July 2018

Exercise
1 Solve the following equations
a) x + 3 = 7 b) 5 – j = -2 c) 3c = 12 d) -r = -12
m
e) = -7 f ) -8u = 12 g) 4g + 4 = 16 h) 7 – 2w = 1
2
e y u
i) - 5 = -8 j) 21 – 3t = 12 k) - 9 = -5 l) 3 - = -7
2 5 2

2 Solve these equations

a) 5i + 2 = i + 10 b) 10p – 11 = 2p – 3 c) 5a – 12 = 3a + 6
d) 10d + 10 = 3d + 3 e) f + 6 = 6f – 9 f) 8 – g = 5g + 14
g) 5h – 2 = 7h – 12 h) 6j + 13 = 4j+ 13

3 Solve
a) 3(2k – 4) = 18 b) 5(2z + 9) = 15 c) 3(x + 4) = 6
d) 3(c + 3) + 2(c – 5) = 4 e) 3(2v – 3) + 2(v – 4) = -25 f) 3(b + 4) = 2(4b + 1)

4 Solve
9n 4m 9q
a) -4=5 b) - 11 = 9 c) 1 - = -8
5 3 2
w4 3  2e 3r  9
d) =2 e) = 1 f) = -3
2 11 5
3t y 2 5u  4 u 5
g) +4=1 h) = i) =
8 3 9 4 5
2i  1 3i  5 p+1 5a  4
j) = k) +1=4 l) 2 - =4
7 4 3 6
d 3 d 2 1 m 2m  1
m) -4 = n) -m =
3 2 5 2

Answers
3
1 a) 4 b) 7 c) 4 d) 12 e) -14 f) - g) 3 h) 3 i) -6 j) 3 k) 20 l) 20
2

2 a) 2 b) 1 c) 9 d) -1 e) 3 f) -1 g) 5 h) 0
3 a) 5 b) -3 c) -2 d) 1 e) -1 f) 2
2
4 a) 5 b) 15 c) 2 d) 8 e) -4 f) -8 g) -8 h) i) 0 j) 3 k) 8
3

8 7
l) - m) -24 n)
5 22

ES1 – Linear Equations Page 4 of 4 July 2018