Mathematics | How to Isolate a Variable in Equations and Expressions

Isolate

In mathematics, to isolate a variable means to rearrange an equation or expression in order to express that variable alone on one side of the equation

In mathematics, to isolate a variable means to rearrange an equation or expression in order to express that variable alone on one side of the equation. This is often done to solve for the variable or to simplify an expression.

To isolate a variable, you typically need to perform a series of algebraic operations, such as adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, or applying exponent rules, to isolate the variable term.

Here’s an example:

Let’s say we have the equation 3x + 2 = 10 and we want to isolate the variable x.

Step 1: We begin by subtracting 2 from both sides of the equation to eliminate the constant term on the left side:
3x + 2 – 2 = 10 – 2
3x = 8

Step 2: Next, we divide both sides of the equation by 3 to isolate the variable term:
(3x) / 3 = 8 / 3
x = 8/3

So, we have isolated the variable x and found that its value is 8/3.

More Answers:
Understanding Literal Equations | The Key to Solving for Specific Variables in Math.
Understanding Inequalities in Mathematics | Comparing and Describing Quantities.
Understanding the Distributive Property in Mathematics | Simplifying Expressions and Performing Calculations

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