High School

Steps for solving [tex]$4(3x - 6) = 24$[/tex] are shown:

[tex]\[

\begin{aligned}

4(3x - 6) &= 24 \quad & & \text{Original Equation} \\

12x - 24 &= 24 \quad & & \text{Step 1} \\

12x - 24 + 24 &= 24 + 24 \quad & & \text{Step 2} \\

12x &= 48 \quad & & \text{Step 3} \\

\frac{12x}{12} &= \frac{48}{12} \quad & & \text{Step 4} \\

x &= 4 \quad & & \text{Step 5}

\end{aligned}

\][/tex]

Which of these is not part of the solution process?

A. Using the distributive property
B. Adding 24 to both sides to isolate the variable term
C. Dividing both sides by 12 to isolate the variable
D. Simplifying by combining variable terms

Answer :

Sure! Let's go through the steps of solving the equation [tex]\(4(3x - 6) = 24\)[/tex] and identify which option is not part of the solution process.

Original Equation:
[tex]\[ 4(3x - 6) = 24 \][/tex]

Step 1: Using the distributive property
We start by distributing the 4 across the terms inside the parentheses:
[tex]\[ 4 \times 3x - 4 \times 6 = 12x - 24 \][/tex]

This uses the distributive property, so option A is correct.

Step 2: Simplifying by adding 24 to both sides
Add 24 to both sides to eliminate [tex]\(-24\)[/tex] on the left:
[tex]\[ 12x - 24 + 24 = 24 + 24 \][/tex]
[tex]\[ 12x = 48 \][/tex]

This involves adding 24 to both sides, so option B is correct.

Step 3: Isolating the variable by dividing both sides by 12
Divide each side by 12 to solve for [tex]\(x\)[/tex]:
[tex]\[ \frac{12x}{12} = \frac{48}{12} \][/tex]
[tex]\[ x = 4 \][/tex]

This involves dividing by 12, so option C is correct.

Now, let's look at option D:

Option D: Simplifying by combining variable terms
There were no like terms involving the variables to combine at any step in this process since there was only one [tex]\(12x\)[/tex] term after using the distributive property.

So, the answer is:
D. Simplifying by combining variable terms

This step is not part of the solution process for this particular equation.