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That depends how the variable is combined with the other parts of the expression on each side. Here are some examples:Example 1: 2x + 5 = x - 3

Here, if you subtract "x" from both sides, you will get rid of the "x" on the right.

Example 2: x squared = 3x

Here, if you divide by "x", you get rid of the "x" on the right. However, one solution, namely x = 0, gets lost in the new equation if you do that. This is related to the fact that you should not divide by zero - and if x = 0, you are doing exactly that.

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7y ago
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6y ago

The way to move a positive term which contains a variable to the other side is to subtract that term from both sides and simplify (see A). The way to move a negative term is to add its absolute value to both sides and simplify (see B).

So suppose you start with 2x + 3y = 5x - 2y

(A) to move 2x to the right subtract 2x from both sides: 2x + 3y - 2x = 5x - 2y - 2x => 3y = 3x - 2y

(B) to move -2y to the left, add 2y to both sides: 2x + 3y + 2y = 5x - 2y + 2y => 2x + 5y = 5x.


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Q: How can you solve an equation that has a variables on both sides How do you move a variable term from one side of the equation to the other?
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