College

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

[tex]
\begin{aligned}
4(3x - 6) & = 24 & & \text{Original Equation} \\
12x - 24 & = 24 & & \text{Step 1: Distribute} \\
12x - 24 + 24 & = 24 + 24 & & \text{Step 2: Add 24 to both sides} \\
12x & = 48 & & \text{Step 3: Simplify} \\
\frac{12x}{12} & = \frac{48}{12} & & \text{Step 4: Divide by 12} \\
x & = 4 & & \text{Step 5: Simplify}
\end{aligned}
[/tex]

Which of these is not part of the solution process?

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

Answer :

Let's solve the equation step-by-step and identify which process is not part of the solution:

The original equation is:
[tex]\[ 4(3x - 6) = 24 \][/tex]

Step 1: Distribute
- We use the distributive property.
- Distribute the 4 into the parentheses:
[tex]\[ 4 \times 3x - 4 \times 6 = 12x - 24 \][/tex]
- Now, the equation is:
[tex]\[ 12x - 24 = 24 \][/tex]

Step 2: Add to both sides
- We add 24 to both sides to isolate the variable term:
[tex]\[ 12x - 24 + 24 = 24 + 24 \][/tex]
- This simplifies to:
[tex]\[ 12x = 48 \][/tex]

Step 3: Divide to solve for [tex]\( x \)[/tex]
- To solve for [tex]\( x \)[/tex], divide both sides by 12:
[tex]\[ \frac{12x}{12} = \frac{48}{12} \][/tex]
- This gives:
[tex]\[ x = 4 \][/tex]

Now, let's review the choices:

A. Using the distributive property - Yes, this was used in Step 1.

B. Simplifying by combining variable terms - This is not explicitly part of the solution process. We didn't have multiple variable terms to combine.

C. Dividing both sides by 12 to isolate the variable - Yes, this was used in Step 3.

D. Adding 24 to both sides to isolate the variable term - Yes, this was used in Step 2.

The process that was not part of the solution is:

B. Simplifying by combining variable terms.