## anonymous one year ago please help me solve this a=x+y+z/3 a. y = a - 3x - z b. y = a - x - 3z c. y = 3a - x - z

1. FibonacciChick666

If, a,x and z were numbers, could you find y?

2. anonymous

$\frac{ x+y+z }{ 3 } it looks like this 3. anonymous |dw:1432755045660:dw| 4. FibonacciChick666 I assumed from the answer choices that was the problem, but you still have not answered, if a,z, and x were just numbers instead of variables, could you find y? 5. anonymous i dont know how 6. FibonacciChick666 ok, so can you tell me the order of operations? 7. anonymous i really know nothing about this thats why i need help 8. FibonacciChick666 Well, then at least google the order of operations. You should have learned that in 5th or 6th grade. 9. anonymous divide is first 10. FibonacciChick666 I would like to know the whole order, for example, people like to use PEMDAS to remember, can you tell me what each letter stands for? 11. anonymous parenthasis exponets multiplication division adition subtraction 12. FibonacciChick666 alright, so it is important to remember the order of operations because when you solve for a variable, you just reverse it. So we will do SadMep 13. FibonacciChick666 So, first we write what the question actually means \[a=\frac{(x+y+z)}{3}$ Now, we reverse the order of operations and ask ourselves, is there any subtraction?

14. anonymous

no subtraction

15. anonymous

16. FibonacciChick666

but it is inside parentheses right? So we have to wait

17. FibonacciChick666

so now, keep going, what comes after addition when we reverse the order of ops?

18. anonymous

divition

19. FibonacciChick666

right, so what is the opposite of division?

20. anonymous

multiplication

21. FibonacciChick666

good, so if we are dividing by 3, to undo it, we need to multiply both sides by 3, can you tell me what you get?

22. anonymous

3a=x+y+z

23. FibonacciChick666

nice, so now, restart your reversal of the order of ops

24. FibonacciChick666

any subtraction?

25. anonymous

no subtraction

26. FibonacciChick666

so what comes next?

27. anonymous

28. FibonacciChick666

is there any?

29. anonymous

yes x+y+z

30. FibonacciChick666

ok, so what are we trying to get by itself?

31. FibonacciChick666

and how do we undo addition?

32. anonymous

do we subtracts y and z

33. FibonacciChick666

well, we want y so we will leave it. If we subtracted y and z from bothe sides, we'd find x not y. So what do we need to subtraact from both sides?

34. anonymous

z and x?

35. FibonacciChick666

yea, and what do you get?

36. anonymous

3a=y

37. FibonacciChick666

no, remember you have to do it to both sides

38. anonymous

-3?

39. FibonacciChick666

nah, just write the whole thing out. you are here: $3a=x+y+z$

40. FibonacciChick666

so what are you doing?