86 Chapter 2 Equations 2

Example 8 Solving equations with brackets

Solve the following equations by first expanding any brackets.
a 3(p + 4) = 18 b −12(3q + 5) = −132
c 4(2x − 5) + 3x = 57 d 2(3k + 1) = 5(2k − 6)

SOL UT IO N EX P LA NAT I O N

a 3(p + 4) = 18 Use the distributive law to expand the brackets.

3 + 12 = 18
3p Solve the equation by performing the same operations to
−12 −12
3 =6
3p both sides.
÷3 p = 2 ÷3

b −12(3q + 5) = −132 Use the distributive law to expand the brackets.

−36q + (−60) = −132 Simplify −36q + (−60) to −36q − 60.
−36q − 60 = −132 Solve the equation by performing the same operations to
+60 +60
−36q = −72 both sides.
÷ −36 ÷ −36
q=2

c 4(2x − 5) + 3x = 57 Use the distributive law to expand the brackets.

8x − 20 + 3x = 57 Combine the like terms: 8x + 3x = 11x.
11x − 20 = 57 Solve the equation by performing the same operations to
+20 +20
11x = 77 both sides.
÷11 x=7 ÷11

d 2(3k + 1) = 5(2k − 6) Use the distributive law on both sides to expand the
k + 2 = 10k − 30 brackets.
−6k −6k
2 = 4k − 30 Solve the equation by performing the same operations to
+30 +30
32 = 4k both sides.
÷4 8 = k ÷4

Exercise 2E
U F
1 Fill in the missing numbers. C
R PS
a 4(y + 3) = 4y + b 7(2p − 5) = p − 35
c 2(4x + 5) = x+ d 10(5 + 3q) = + q

2 Match each expression a–d with its expanded form A–D.

a 2(x + 4) A 4x + 8
b 4(x + 2) B 2x + 4
c 2(2x + 1) C 2x + 8
d 2(x + 2) D 4x + 2

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 Number and Algebra 87

3 Rolf is unsure whether 4(x + 3) is equivalent to 4x + 12 or 4x + 3. U F

C
a Fill out the table below. R PS

x 0 1 2
4(x + 3)
4x + 12
4x + 3

b What is the correct expansion of 4(x + 3)?

4 Simplify the following expressions by collecting like terms.

a 4x + 3x b 7p + 2p + 3 c 8x − 2x + 4
d 2k + 4 + 5k e 3x + 6 − 2x f 7k + 21 − 2k

U F
Example 8a 5 Solve the following equations by first expanding the brackets. C
R PS
a 2(4u + 2) = 52 b 3(3j − 4) = 15 c 5(2p − 4) = 40
d 15 = 5(2m − 5) e 2(5n + 5) = 60 f 26 = 2(3a + 4)

Example 8b 6 Solve the following equations involving negative numbers.

a −6(4p + 4) = 24 b −2(4u − 5) = 34 c −2(3v − 4) = 38
d 28 = −4(3r + 5) e −3(2b − 2) = 48 f −6 = −3(2d − 4)

Example 8c 7 Solve the following equations by expanding and combining like terms.
a 4(3y + 2) + 2y = 50 b 5(2 − 5) + 3 = 1 c 4(5 + 3w) + 5 = 49
d 49 = 5(3c + 5) − 3c e 28 = 4(3d + 3) − 4d f 58 = 4(2w − 5) + 5w
g 23 = 4(2p − 3) + 3 h 44 = 5(3k + 2) + 2k i 49 = 3(2c − 5) + 4

Example 8d 8 Solve the following equations by expanding brackets on both sides.

a 5(4x − 4) = 5(3x + 3) b 6(4 + 2r) = 3(5r + 3) c 5(5f − 2) = 5(3f + 4)
d 4(4p − 3) = 2(4 + 3p) e 2(5h + 4) = 3(4 + 3h) f 4(4r − 5) = 2(5 + 5r)
g 4(3r − 2) = 4(2r + 3) h 2(2p + 4) = 2(3p − 2) i 3(2a + 1) = 11(a − 2)

9 Solve the following equations systematically.

a 2(3 + 5r) + 6 = 4(2r + 5) + 6 b 3(2 + 2) + 18 = 4(4 + 3) − 8
c 2(3x − 5) + 16 = 3 + 5(2x − 5) d 3(4s + 3) − 3 = 3(3s + 5) + 15
e 4(4y + 5) − 4 = 6(3y − 3) + 20 f 3(4h + 5) + 2 = 14 + 3(5h − 2)

U F
10 Desmond notes that in 4 years’ time his age when doubled will give the number 50. C
R PS
Desmond’s current age is d.
a Write an expression for Desmond’s age in 4 years’ time.
b Write an expression for double his age in 4 years’ time.
c Write an equation to describe the situation described above.
d Solve the equation to find his current age.

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88 Chapter 2 Equations 2 2E

11 Rahda’s usual hourly wage is $w. She works for 5 hours at this U F
C
wage and then 3 more hours at an increased wage of $(w + 4). R PS

a Write an expression for the total amount Rahda earns for the
8 hours.
b Rahda earns $104 for the 8 hours. Write and solve an equation
to find her usual hourly wage.

12 Kate’s age 5 years ago, when doubled, is equal to triple her age
10 years ago.
a Write an equation to describe this, using k for Kate’s current
age.
b Solve the equation to find Kate’s current age.

13 Rectangles A and B have the same area.

a What is the value of x? 5 B
6
b State the perimeter of the shape shown to the right. x
10 A 15.5

U F
14 Abraham is asked how many people are in the room next door. He answers that if three more C
R PS
people walked in and then the room’s population was doubled, this would have the same effect
as quadrupling the population and then 11 people leaving. Prove that what Abraham said
cannot be true.

15 Ajith claims that three times his age 5 years ago is the same as nine times how old he will be
next year. Prove that what Ajith is saying cannot be true.

16 A common mistake when expanding is to write 2(n + 3) as 2n + 3. These are not equivalent,
since, for example, 2(5 + 3) = 16 and 2 × 5 + 3 = 13.
a Prove that they are never equal by trying to solve 2(n + 3) = 2n + 3.
b Prove that 4(2x + 3) is never equal to 8x + 3 but it is sometimes equal to 4x + 12.

Enrichment: Challenging expansions

17 Solve the following equations. Note that, in general, your answers will not be integers.
a 2(3x + 4) + 5(6x + 7) = 64x + 1
b −5(3p + 2) + 5(2p + 3) = −31
c −10(n + 1) + 20(2n + 13) = 7
d 4(2q + 1) − 5(3q + 1) = 11q − 1
e x + 2(x + 1) + 3(x + 2) = 11x
f m − 2(m + 1) − 3(m − 1) = 2(1 − 4m)

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 Number and Algebra

9 a x = 15 b Yes 3 a

Answers
x 0 1 2
c i q = 130 ii q = 130 4(x + 3)
4( 12 16 20
d Keeps numbers smaller, so can be done without calculator. 4 + 12
4x 12 16 20
e i p = 28 ii q = −81 iii p = −77 iv r = 34 4 +3
4x 3 7 11
10 a x=6 b x=3 c x=1 d x=2 b 4x + 12
e x=8 f x = −5 4 a 7x b 9p + 3 c 6x + 4 d 7k + 4
57 22 80 2 e x+6 f 5k + 21
11 a x = b x= c x= d x=
4 3 3 3 5 a u=6 b j=3 c p=6 d m=4
12 a x = 24 b x = 60 c x = 12 d x = 24 e n=5 f a=3
e x = 15 f x = 42 6 a p = −2 b u = −3 c v = −5 d r = −4
e b = −7 f d=3
Exercise 2D 7 a y=3 b =2 c w=2 d c=2
e d=2 f w=6 g p=4 h k=2
1 a true b false c false d true
i c = 10
2 a 3x + 3 b 5
8 a x=7 b r=5 c f=3 d p=2
c 5p + 9 = 5 d 22k + 12 = 13
e h=4 f r=5 g r=5 h p=6
3 B
i a=5
4 a f=5 b y=3 c s=3 d j=2
9 a r=7 b =2 c x=7 d s=8
e t = −2 f n = −5 g y = −5 h t = −4
e y=7 f h=3
i q = −3
10 a d+4 b 2(d + 4)
5 a t = −2 b c=2 c t=5 d z=3
c 2(d + 4) = 50 d 21
e t=3 f q = −2 g x=9 h w=9
11 a 5w + 3(w + 4) b $11.50
i j = −5
12 a 2(k − 5) = 3(k − 10) b 20
6 a a=3 b g=2 c n = −2 d u=7
13 a 3.5 b 80
e h = −5 f j = −5 g c=1 h n = −1
14 The equation is 2(x + 3) = 4x − 11, which would mean
i a = −4 j v = −7 k c = −3 l t=3
8.5 people next door.
m n=4 n n=3 o =2
15 Equation 3(x − 5) = 9(x + 1) has solution x = −4. He cannot
1 2 −3 be −4 years old.
7 a x= b k= c m=
2 3 2 16 a 2n + 6 = 2n + 3 implies 6 = 3.
5 −1 11 b 8x + 12 = 8x + 3 implies 12 = 3, but if x = 0 then
d j= e j= f z=
2 2 2 4(2x + 3) = 4x + 12 is true.
8 a 2x + 3 = 3x + 1 so x = 2 b z + 9 = 2z so z = 9 3 36 81
17 a x = b p= c n= − d q=0
c 7y = y + 12 so y = 2 d n + 10 = 3n − 6 so n = 8 2 5 10
9 a x = 6 and y = 10 b x = 4 and y = 7 8 1
e x= f m=
10 Area = 700 units2, Perimeter = 110 units 5 4
11 a 4p + 1.5 = 2p + 4.9 b $1.70 c 11
12 a x = 5 b x=5 Exercise 2F
c Variable appears on RHS if subtract 3x.
13 x = 8, y = 6, so length = breadth = 29. 1 a i 9 and 9 ii 36 and 36 iii 1 and 1 iv 100 and 100
14 a No solutions. b They are equal
b Subtract 2x, then 3 = 7 (impossible). 2 a i 9 ii 49 iii 169 iv 64
c 5x + 23 = 5x + 10. Other answers are possible. b No
3 a 9, 3, −3 b 25, 5, −5 c 121, 11, −11
15 a x = 20 b x = 17, y = 51, z = 10
4 a ±2 b ±7 c ±10 d ±8
c k = 12 d b = 10, a = 50
e a = 60, b = 30, c = 20 f x = 3.5 e ±1 f ±12 g ±6 h ±11
i ±13 j ±16 k ±30 l ±100
5 a ±2.45 b ±3.46 c ±6.08 d ±6.40
Exercise 2E
e ±10.20 f ±17.80 g ±19.75 h ±26.34
1 a 12 b 14 c 8, 10 d 50, 30 6 a 2 b 2 c 2 d 0
2 a C b A c D d B e 0 f 1 g 1 h 2

635

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