Solve:
$5-2 a=-13$
Type answer(s) in each blank below.
$a=$
Answer (1)
Subtract 5 from both sides of the equation: − 2 a = − 18 .
Divide both sides by -2: a = − 2 − 18 .
Simplify the equation.
The solution is: 9 .
Explanation
Understanding the Problem We are given the equation 5 − 2 a = − 13 and we want to solve for a .
Isolating the Term with 'a' First, we subtract 5 from both sides of the equation to isolate the term with a on one side: 5 − 2 a − 5 = − 13 − 5
− 2 a = − 18
Solving for 'a' Next, we divide both sides of the equation by -2 to solve for a :
− 2 − 2 a = − 2 − 18
a = 9
Examples
In real-world scenarios, solving linear equations like this can help determine unknown quantities. For example, if you know that a certain number of items, each costing a fixed amount, plus a fixed initial cost, totals a certain amount, you can use a linear equation to find the cost of each item. Suppose you spent $13 less than $5 after buying 2 items. The equation 5 − 2 a = − 13 helps you find the value of each item, which is $9.
