Solve the Linear Equation: 2.6 - 3.8x = 10.2

Look at the equation: $2.6 - 3.8x = 10.2$. The 2.6 is added to the left side, so to isolate the variable term, you need to do the opposite operation - subtract 2.6!

Write each step clearly! When you subtract 2.6 from both sides: $2.6 - 2.6 - 3.8x = 10.2 - 2.6$. The left side becomes $0 - 3.8x = -3.8x$.

When dividing $-3.8x = 7.6$ by -3.8, remember: negative ÷ negative = positive! So $\frac{7.6}{-3.8} = -2$.

The choice '2-' is just another way to write -2. Some answer formats put the negative sign after the number, but they mean the same thing!

Yes! Substitute x = -2 into the original equation: $2.6 - 3.8(-2) = 2.6 + 7.6 = 10.2$ ✓. Both sides equal 10.2, so the answer is correct!