Video Transcript
Determine the value of 𝑥, given that 𝑥 minus one seventeenth equals five seventeenths.
Let’s look at two different ways of how to solve this problem. First, we’ll try mental math and then we’ll write some things down. First, mental math, 𝑥, a number we don’t know, minus one seventeenth equals five seventeenths. So some fraction take away one seventeenth equals five seventeenths.
I know that when we’re dealing with fractions, adding and subtracting them, we need to have a common denominator. So our 𝑥 value should have a common denominator of seventeen.
Now I ask the question: What number if you take away one from that value gives you five? And the answer is six; six minus one equals five; six seventeenths minus one seventeenth equals five seventeenths.
So let’s try to solve this problem a second way. If we’re solving for 𝑥, we need to get 𝑥 by itself. It needs to be the only thing on one side of the equal sign.
To get 𝑥 by itself and keep our equation balanced, I’ll add one seventeenth to both sides of the equation. 𝑥 minus one seventeenth plus one seventeenth equals 𝑥. Five seventeenths plus one seventeenth equals six seventeenths.
Both of these methods solve for the same answer: 𝑥 equals six seventeenths.