Thread: solve equation

(a X 14/100) + a = 10. Find the value of a. I'm so confused

When it says find the value of "a", it means separate or isolate "a" by itself, alone, no attachments, on one side of the equation. [Well, it doesn't really mean that. It's just my way of explaining it---how to get the value of "a".]

(a X 14/100) + a = 10
(a*14/100) +a = 10
14a/100 +a = 10 ------***

Okay. You want to isolate the "a" at the lefthand side (LHS) of the equation.
There are two a's on the (LHS). You want to combine them, and you want to remove the 14 and the 100 from the LHS so that only "a" will remain there.

First, clear the fraction.
100 is a denominator, so you need to multiply everything by 100.
14a +100a = 1000 -----***

Combine those that have "a",
114a = 1000

To isolate the "a", divide all by 114,
a = 1000 / 114
By calculator,
a = 8.771929825 ----------------------answer.

Originally Posted by numptyfied

(a X 14/100) + a = 10. Find the value of a. I'm so confused

Please watch the language. We've had third graders on here before.

-Dan