To solve the linear equation a + u = − 3 , we want to find the values of a and u that satisfy this equation. Since we have two variables but only one equation, there are infinite possible solutions, depending on the value of one of the variables.
Here are the steps to explore solutions:
Express one variable in terms of the other:
You can solve for one variable in terms of the other. For example, solving for a in terms of u gives:
a = − 3 − u
Similarly, solving for u in terms of a gives:
u = − 3 − a
Choose a specific value for one variable:
You can choose any numerical value for one of the variables and compute the corresponding value for the other variable.
For example, if you let u = 1 , then:
a = − 3 − 1 = − 4
If you let a = 0 , then:
u = − 3 − 0 = − 3
General understanding:
This equation represents a straight line in a coordinate system where every point on the line is a solution to the equation. Therefore, any specific pair ( a , u ) that satisfies the equation is an acceptable solution.
By understanding the equation this way, it becomes clear to see how useful linear equations are in connecting different variables and quantities in numerous mathematics problems.