16Hit1600
AlgebraHardGreatest value satisfying an inequality with distribution

Algebra practice question

What is the greatest value of x that satisfies 5 − 2(x + 1) ≥ 3x + 8?

Answer: -1

5 − 2x − 2 ≥ 3x + 8 → 3 − 2x ≥ 3x + 8 → −5 ≥ 5x → x ≤ −1. The greatest such value is −1.

Common wrong answers

If you answered 1
1 has the wrong sign: −5x ≥ 5 gives x ≤ −1 after dividing by a negative.
If you answered -5
−5 is the value before dividing by 5.
If you answered -3
−3 comes from 5 − 2x + 2 ≥ 3x + 8, distributing the sign wrongly.

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