Solve for $t$: $5t - 4 = 11$
Answer (1)
Add 4 to both sides of the equation: 5 t − 4 + 4 = 11 + 4 , which simplifies to 5 t = 15 .
Divide both sides by 5: 5 5 t = 5 15 .
Simplify to find the value of t .
The solution is 3 .
Explanation
Understanding the Problem We are given the equation 5 t − 4 = 11 and our goal is to isolate t to find its value.
Adding 4 to Both Sides To isolate t , we first need to get rid of the − 4 on the left side of the equation. We can do this by adding 4 to both sides of the equation: 5 t − 4 + 4 = 11 + 4
Simplifying the Equation Now, simplify both sides of the equation: 5 t = 15
Dividing by 5 Next, we need to get rid of the 5 that's multiplying t . We can do this by dividing both sides of the equation by 5 :
5 5 t = 5 15
Finding the Value of t Finally, simplify both sides to find the value of t :
t = 3
Conclusion Therefore, the solution to the equation 5 t − 4 = 11 is t = 3 .
Examples
Imagine you're buying concert tickets online. The base price is $11, but there's a $4 service fee. If your total cost is represented by 5 t , where t is the number of tickets, you can use the equation 5 t − 4 = 11 to find out how many tickets you bought. Solving this equation tells you that you purchased 3 tickets. This kind of problem helps in budgeting and understanding costs in everyday transactions.
