Solve for X in the Linear Equation: 3x-5=10

You want to isolate the term with x by getting rid of the -5 first. Adding 5 cancels out the -5, leaving you with just $3x = 15$, which is much easier to solve!

You'd get $x - \frac{5}{3} = \frac{10}{3}$, which involves fractions and makes the problem unnecessarily complicated. Always eliminate constants first to keep things simple!

Follow the reverse order of operations! Since the equation has $3x - 5$, you undo the subtraction first (add 5), then undo the multiplication (divide by 3).

Yes! Besides substituting back, you can also work backwards: if $x = 5$, then $3 \times 5 = 15$, and $15 - 5 = 10$ ✓

Don't panic! Go back and check each step carefully. Common errors include sign mistakes or forgetting to do the same operation to both sides of the equation.