16Hit1600
AlgebraHardEquation with nested distribution

Algebra practice question

What value of x satisfies 5(3x − 4) − 2x = 71?

Answer: 7

15x − 20 − 2x = 71, so 13x = 91 and x = 7.

Common wrong answers

If you answered 5
5 comes from 13x = 65, subtracting 20 from 91 a second time.
If you answered 9
9 comes from 15x − 20 + 2x = 71 (wrong sign on the 2x term) and a rounding of 91/17.
If you answered 3.9
3.9 comes from 13x = 51, subtracting 20 from 71 instead of adding it.

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