How to subtract variables

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SSAT Middle Level Quantitative › How to subtract variables

Questions 1 - 10
1

Solve for :

Explanation

In order to solve for , move to one side of the equation and everything else to the other. To do this, subtract from both sides.

2

Simplify:

Explanation

Remember, when there is a subtraction outside of a group, you should add the opposite of each member. That is:

That is a bit confusing, so let's simplify. When you add a negative, you subtract:

Now, group your like variables:

Finally, perform the subtractions and get:

3

Simplify:

Explanation

Begin by distributing the through the group:

Next, perform the multiplications:

Group the like terms:

Combine like terms:

Rearrange the terms to get the answer as it appears in the answer choices.

4

Explanation

First distribute the subtraction sign through the terms in the parentheses.

Subtraction of a negative is the same as adding a positive.

Rewrite.

Group all like terms together.

Evaluate the terms in each parentheses.

Rewrite in simplest form.

is the correct answer.

5

Simplify:

Explanation

Begin by rewriting the subtracted group as a set of added negative numbers:

Now, simplify that a little by rewriting the additions of negatives as being mere subtractions:

Next, move the like terms next to each other:

Finally, combine like terms:

6

Simplify:

Explanation

When solving this problem we need to remember our order of operations, or PEMDAS.

PEMDAS stands for parentheses, exponents, multiplication/division, and addition/subtraction. When you have a problem with several different operations, you need to solve the problem in this order and you work from left to right for multiplication/division and addition/subtraction.

Parentheses: We are not able to add a variable to a number, so we move to the next step.

Multiplication: We can distribute (or multiply) the .

Addition/Subtraction: Remember, we can't add a variable to a number, so the is left alone.

7

Simplify:

Explanation

Begin by distributing the :

Multiply all factors:

Group together the only like factor ():

Combine like terms:

8

Simplify:

Explanation

You need to begin by distributing the minus sign through the whole group . This gives you:

Simplifying the double negative, you get:

Now, you can move the like terms next to each other:

Finally, simplify:

9

Simplify:

Explanation

When solving this problem we need to remember our order of operations, or PEMDAS.

PEMDAS stands for parentheses, exponents, multiplication/division, and addition/subtraction. When you have a problem with several different operations, you need to solve the problem in this order and you work from left to right for multiplication/division and addition/subtraction.

Parentheses: We are not able to add a variable to a number, so we move on to the next step

Multiplication: We can distribute the negative sign to the and

Remember, a negative times a negative will equal a positive, so we have a

Finally we can combine like terms

10

Simplify:

Explanation

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