Simple Equations
Simple equations take the form
or 
. To solve them we have to end up with x=?.
For the first simpler one we can use the caterpillar method.
*4 +1 29
÷4 - 1 29
Now work back from 29 to get 
The equation
is similar. Using the method above we have,
*(-2) +5 9
÷(-2) - 5 9
Then
The second equation is trickier. We have's on both sides. We can move the
to the left hand side and the
to the rigth hand side. We have to use the rule, “if it changes side, it changes sign”. Thebecomes
and thebecomes 
. We obtain
Both sides now simplify to give
Then
The most important thing to remember is to change the signs of whatever you move. A term only changes side if it moves to the other side of an equals sign, and if it moves to the other side of an equals sign it always changes sign.
