In an algebra problem, how do I get X by itself?
Answer
Getting x by itself depends on the particular question. Usually you will want to combine like terms and then cancel, but there are many different possibilities. Generally, think of what is being done to x and then "undo" it by doing the opposite, and do that on both sides of the equal sign. Take care of all adding and subtracting first, and then do the multiplication and division.
Follow the example below. The example shows the steps to get x by itself. The answer to the example problem is x=16.
