Solve x/4 = 7.

Step by step

The question

Question: solve x/4 = 7.

Let's find x.

An equation is like a balance.

Both sides weigh the same.

Is x alone now?

Not yet: x is still divided by 4.

How do we remove it?

1 Remove the fraction

The bottom number is 4.

A fraction means divide: x/4 is x divided by 4.

To remove divided by 4, we multiply by 4.

We do it on both sides.

Why both sides?

The = sign means both sides are the same amount.

If we change only one side, they are not the same any more.

4 divided by 4 is 1.

The bottom is gone.

We write it again, without the crossed-out parts.

4 times 7 is 28.

No more fractions!

So x = 28!

2 Check

Let's check: put 28 in place of x.

Both sides are 7.

The balance is level.

We get 7, the same as the right side.

So x = 28 is right!

Let's look back.

First: remove the fraction.

Last: check.