Simplifying Equations Examples

What's the value of x in the equation 4(1 – x) = 3(x + 1) – 2?

First, simplify each side to find the equivalent equation.

4 – 4x = 3x + 1

Step 2: add 4x to each side.

4 = 7x + 1

Step 3: subtract 1 from both sides.

3 = 7x

With a little division by 7, we can conclude that x = ³/₇. We can also conclude that our lives are indeed easier now that we've kicked those parentheses to the curb.