Solve for x (2x+3)-(4x-8)=7

$(2 x + 3) - (4 x - 8) = 7$

Step 1

Simplify $2 x + 3 - (4 x - 8)$ .

Simplify each term.

Apply the distributive property.

$2 x + 3 - (4 x) - - 8 = 7$

Multiply $4$ by $- 1$ .

$2 x + 3 - 4 x - - 8 = 7$

Multiply $- 1$ by $- 8$ .

$2 x + 3 - 4 x + 8 = 7$

Simplify by adding terms.

Subtract $4 x$ from $2 x$ .

$- 2 x + 3 + 8 = 7$

Add $3$ and $8$ .

$- 2 x + 11 = 7$

Step 2

Move all terms not containing $x$ to the right side of the equation.

Subtract $11$ from both sides of the equation.

$- 2 x = 7 - 11$

Subtract $11$ from $7$ .

$- 2 x = - 4$

Step 3

Divide each term in $- 2 x = - 4$ by $- 2$ and simplify.

Divide each term in $- 2 x = - 4$ by $- 2$ .

$\frac{- 2 x}{- 2} = \frac{- 4}{- 2}$

Simplify the left side.

Cancel the common factor of $- 2$ .

Cancel the common factor.

$\frac{- 2 x}{- 2} = \frac{- 4}{- 2}$

Divide $x$ by $1$ .

$x = \frac{- 4}{- 2}$

Simplify the right side.

Divide $- 4$ by $- 2$ .

$x = 2$