Answer:
a = -4/5
Step-by-step explanation:
7a - 8 - 12a + 4
First, you want to put like terms together. You can rearrange the terms because of the Commutative Property.
7a - 12a - 8 + 4
I will put parentheses around the negative numbers, so it is easier to see the negative numbers.
7a (- 12a)( - 8) + 4
Now you combine the Like Terms
7a-12a and -8+4
- 5a - 4
Now you need to get the term with a all by itself on the other side of the equals sign. You can do this by adding the term over to the other side.
-5a - 4
+5a +5a
Now you have
- 4 = 5a
To get the final answer you need to get a all by itself. You can do this by dividing 5 on both sides.
-4/5=5a/5
So you get
-4/5 = a
as your final answer.
