PEMDAS parentheses, exponent, multiplication/division, addition/subtraction first, start with what is inside the parentheses that is solvable. 5(6) - (x-3) = -4(4x+5) + 13 multiply what you can 30 - (x-3) = -16x - 20 + 13 simplify 30 - (x-3) = -16x - 7 subtract 30 on both sides - (x-3) = -16x - 37 let’s separate -(x-3). -x - 3 = -16x - 37 add 16x to both sides 15x - 3 = -37 add 3 to both sides 15x = -34 x = -34/15 or -2.2667
