Divide both sides of the equation by 5 to isolate the exponential term.
Simplify the equation to 2 x + 4 = 3 .
The first step is to divide each side by 5.
The answer is 5 .
Explanation
Understanding the Problem We are given the equation 5 ( 2 x + 4 ) = 15 and asked what the first step is to solve for x .
Isolating the Exponential Term To isolate the exponential term, we need to divide both sides of the equation by 5. This will simplify the equation and allow us to work with the exponential term directly.
Performing the Division Dividing both sides by 5, we get: 5 5 ( 2 x + 4 ) = 5 15 2 x + 4 = 3
Conclusion Therefore, to solve 5 ( 2 x + 4 ) = 15 , the first step is to divide each side by 5.
Examples
Exponential equations are used in various fields such as finance to calculate compound interest, in biology to model population growth, and in physics to describe radioactive decay. For example, if a population of bacteria doubles every hour, the population size can be modeled by an exponential equation. Solving these equations helps us predict future population sizes or determine the time it takes for a certain population level to be reached.
To solve 5 ( 2 x + 4 ) = 15 , begin by dividing both sides by 5 to isolate the exponential term, yielding 2 x + 4 = 3 .
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