High School

What is the first step in determining if 6 is a solution to [tex]3x = 18[/tex]?

A. Substitute 6 for [tex]x[/tex] in the equation.
B. Rewrite [tex]3x[/tex] as 36.
C. Multiply 3 and 18.
D. Divide 6 by 3.

Answer :

To determine if [tex]$6$[/tex] is a solution to the equation
[tex]$$3x = 18,$$[/tex]
the first step is to substitute [tex]$6$[/tex] for [tex]$x$[/tex].

Here are the steps:

1. Replace [tex]$x$[/tex] with [tex]$6$[/tex] in the equation to get
[tex]$$3 \cdot 6 = 18.$$[/tex]
2. Verify if the left-hand side equals the right-hand side by calculating
[tex]$$3 \cdot 6 = 18.$$[/tex]
3. Since [tex]$18$[/tex] is equal to [tex]$18$[/tex], the substitution shows that [tex]$6$[/tex] is indeed a solution.

Thus, the initial and crucial step is to substitute [tex]$6$[/tex] for [tex]$x$[/tex].