X + 16 + (-16) = 20 + (-16) Use the addition principle to add -16 to both sides. We can use the addition principle to solve an equation. Since we added the same amount 5 to both sides, each side has an equal value. If the same number is added to both sides of an equation, the results on each side are equal in value.įor real numbers a, b, c if a=b thenat+tc=b+ec There is a similar principle in mathematics. If we add a 2-kilogram lead weight to the center of weight of each object at the same time, the seesaw should still balance.
The box and the stone do not look the same, but they have the same value in weight.
If the center of the box is the same distance from the balance point as the center of the stone, we would expect the seesaw to balance. Suppose that we place a 10-kilogram box on one side of a seesaw and a 10-kilogram stone on the other side. One of the first procedures used in solving equations has an application in our everyday world. The number is the solution to the equation. By choosing certain procedures, you can go step by step from a given equation to the equation x = some number. When we use the equals sign (=), we indicate that two expressions are equal in value. Solve equations of the form x + b = c using the addition principle. After studying this section, you will be able to:ġ.
