Vocabulary
Equation – is made up of two expressions connected by an equal sign.
Expression - a number, a variable, or a combination of numbers and variables and operation symbols.
Variable – a letter that represents an unknown number.
Coefficient – a number multiplied by a variable.
Reciprocal – a pair of numbers that can be multiplied to produce 1.
Concepts
Equations with rational coefficients can be solved by multiplying by the reciprocal of the rational coefficient.
To solve an equation means to isolate the variable to find its value.
Rules
To solve for a variable, use inverse operations to undo the operations in the equation. Be sure to do the same operation to both sides of the equation.
Example
Select the number you would multiply both sides to solve the equation.


= 
Solution
Multiply each side by the coefficient’s reciprocal.
Answer: 

Pre-requisite Skills
Solve Algebraic Equations (x/÷) (5.6.8)
Solve One-Step Equations by Multipying and Dividing
Error