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Ontario Tech acknowledges the lands and people of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.

We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

Learn more about Indigenous Education and Cultural Services

Solving Linear Equations

An equation is a statement indicating that two expressions are equal. In the case of a linear equation, it can be simplified into the form ax = b where a and b are real numbers, with a ≠ 0.

Solving a Linear Equation

To solve a linear equation, you have to isolate for the variable by doing the following steps:

  • Expand (if applicable).
  • Group like terms (if applicable).
  • Rearrange  so that all terms with the variable in them are on one side of the equation while all the terms without the variable in them (i.e., just number terms) are on the other side (i.e., rearrange into the form ax = b [to do this, you're just adding/subtracting terms from both sides]).
  • Divide by the coefficient of the variable to solve for the variable (i.e., once you've got ax = b, divide both sides by a to solve for x).

Example: Solve the equation 3x - 12 = 0

Solution:

3x - 12 = 0

        3x = 0 + 12

        3x = 12

           x = 4

Example: Solve the equation 3x + 4 = 7x - 6 - 6x

Solution:

3x + 4 = 7x - 6 - 6x

3x + 4 = x - 6

  3x - x = - 6 - 4

       2x = -10

          x = -5

Example: