Question

what would be the first step in solving this equation?
x - 3 = 8
add 3 to both sides of the equation
divide 3 from both sides of the equation
subtract 3 from both sides of the equation
multiply 3 to both sides of the equation

Explanation:

Step1: Identify goal: isolate $x$

To solve for $x$, we need to eliminate $-3$ on the left side.

Step2: Choose inverse operation

The inverse of subtracting 3 is adding 3. We must apply this to both sides to keep the equation balanced.

Answer:

add 3 to both sides of the equation