Question

the initial operation to isolate o in $po + q = r$ is:
a. subtracting q from both sides
b. dividing by p
c. multiplying by p
d. adding q to both sides

Explanation:

To isolate \( o \) in the equation \( po + q = r \), we follow the order of operations in reverse (undoing addition/subtraction first, then multiplication/division). The term with \( o \) is \( po \), and before that, we have \( + q \). So the first step is to undo the addition of \( q \) by subtracting \( q \) from both sides. This will leave \( po = r - q \), and then we can divide by \( p \) to isolate \( o \). Option a describes this initial operation. Option b would be the next step, not the initial one. Option c is incorrect as multiplying by \( p \) would complicate the equation. Option d is the opposite of what's needed (we need to remove \( q \), not add more).

Answer:

a. Subtracting \( q \) from both sides