How to Solve Linear Equations in one variable – Tutorial and Practice Questions

Linear equations in one variable x is an equation with the following form:

ax = b

where a and b are some real numbers. If a = 0 and b is different from 0, then the equation has no solution.

Let’s solve one simple example of a linear equation with one variable:

4x – 2 = 2x + 6

When we are given this type of equations, we are always moving variables to the one side of the equation, and real numbers to the other side of the equals sign. Always remember: if you are changing sides, you are changing signs. Let’s move all variables to the left, and real number to the right side:

4x – 2 = 2x + 6

4x – 2x = 6 + 2

2x = 8

x = 8/2

x = 4

When 2x goes to the left it becomes now -2x, and -2 goes to the right and becomes +2. After calculations, we find that x is 4, which is a solution of our linear equation.

Let’s solve a little more complex linear equation:

(2x – 6)/4 + 4 = x

2x – 6 + 16 = 4x

2x – 4x = -16 + 6

-2x = -10

x = -10/-2

x = 5

We multiply whole equation by 4, to lose the fractional line. Now we have a simple linear equation. If we change sides, we change the signs. At the end we do the final calculations.