How to balance equations

Ok I was teaching a student how to balance equations today, so I just thought I would share the correct way to solve equations using this method.

Right! without further ado you need to remember that what you do to one side you must also do to the other side of the equation.

So lets say you had an equation 2x+10=20
The first thing you need to do is to take 10 from both sides

so this would be: 2x+10-10=20-10

Now this would result in 2x=10

Now you need to divide both sides by 2:

2x / 2 = 10/ 2

so

x = 5

Notice step by step we get nearer to the answer until we arrive at the answer which is 5

I always stick to a 'see saw method' So basically keep all the algebra on the left hand side and the numbers on the right hand side. Keep going by adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing to both sides (depending upon what you have to do) until you arrive at a situation where x or y or whatever your unknown term is equals a number.

Hope that helps!

Steven

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