Help!! Are you smarter than a 8th grader?

So, I can't change my browser because work is not compatible with ie10. Khan academy is not compatible with my old stuff. I cant find the solution on google, though I can find 8th grade math quizzes.

My daughter is confused, I am useless, please help.

Find the value of "a" for which the equation is an identity.

10x -35 +3ax = 5ax - 7x

since when did this become mathwrx?

I don't recall the formal definition of what an identity is, but what I think they're asking for as "at which value of a do all the xs cancel each other, leaving -35=0." if that's the case, it becomes an algebra problem with just the as.

10+3a=5a-7
17=2a
a=8.5

I think

so, an identity is listed in Wikipedia as a function for which the value of the equation remains the same regardless if the input x. seems like this would be true for any value of a, as it's a linear function. now I'm confused lol

Edit: thought I had it...

10x -35 +3ax = 5ax - 7x | - 3ax
10x - 35 = 2ax - 7x | +7x
17x - 35 = 2ax | :2x
(17x -35)/ 2x = a

Would be my best guess. Not really an expert though

Edit: Could actually be right, since the value for a will vary accordingly to what x you have, which is the defintion of a function if i remember correctly

Please move this to the math forum...

[quote name='Petethreeput' timestamp='1384308027' post='8140488']
So, I can't change my browser because work is not compatible with ie10. Khan academy is not compatible with my old stuff. I cant find the solution on google, though I can find 8th grade math quizzes.

My daughter is confused, I am useless, please help.

Find the value of "a" for which the equation is an identity.

10x -35 +3ax = 5ax - 7x
[/quote]

Download google chrome for Khan Academy and keep your old version of IE for work.

And I get a = (17x - 35) / (2x)

Thanks everyone. I had no idea where else to turn. I am not hugely computer literate nor math literate apparently. I remember seeing the calculus question and the answer was automatic and I thought why not try it.

I will look at this problem again, hopefully with new inputs to be successful.

Don't know what my 8th grade math was, but I am pretty sure it wasn't this hard.

Thanks everyone. I had no idea where else to turn. I am not hugely computer literate nor math literate apparently. I remember seeing the calculus question and the answer was automatic and I thought why not try it.

I will look at this problem again, hopefully with new inputs to be successful.

Don't know what my 8th grade math was, but I am pretty sure it wasn't this hard.

[quote name='Petethreeput' timestamp='1384374673' post='8144418']
Thanks everyone. I had no idea where else to turn. I am not hugely computer literate nor math literate apparently. I remember seeing the calculus question and the answer was automatic and I thought why not try it.

I will look at this problem again, hopefully with new inputs to be successful.

Don't know what my 8th grade math was, but I am pretty sure it wasn't this hard.
[/quote]

School has gotten harder in my opinion. I am now in the 11th grade in Switzerland and we are doing stuff like combinatorics and proababilty at the moment, but i guess the school system works different here. Always glad to help

calculus us easier than this stuff because this stuff relies on you knowing what the definition of some mathematical concept is when knowing what it's called is far more difficult than understanding how it works.

I looked at this and laughed..because I couldn't get it.

[quote name='Golfingfanatic' timestamp='1384375273' post='8144446']
[quote name='Petethreeput' timestamp='1384374673' post='8144418']
Thanks everyone. I had no idea where else to turn. I am not hugely computer literate nor math literate apparently. I remember seeing the calculus question and the answer was automatic and I thought why not try it.

I will look at this problem again, hopefully with new inputs to be successful.

Don't know what my 8th grade math was, but I am pretty sure it wasn't this hard.
[/quote]

School has gotten harder in my opinion. I am now in the 11th grade in Switzerland and we are doing stuff like combinatorics and proababilty at the moment, but i guess the school system works different here. Always glad to help
[/quote]

I've never even seen the word combinatorics before.

I actually like the idea of people posting math problems on here. I say we make a school forum for any questions relating to any subject for help. I mean there are thousands of members on here who would probably have the answer.

[quote name='Thrillhouse' timestamp='1384406616' post='8146944']
[quote name='Golfingfanatic' timestamp='1384375273' post='8144446']
[quote name='Petethreeput' timestamp='1384374673' post='8144418']
Thanks everyone. I had no idea where else to turn. I am not hugely computer literate nor math literate apparently. I remember seeing the calculus question and the answer was automatic and I thought why not try it.

I will look at this problem again, hopefully with new inputs to be successful.

Don't know what my 8th grade math was, but I am pretty sure it wasn't this hard.
[/quote]

School has gotten harder in my opinion. I am now in the 11th grade in Switzerland and we are doing stuff like combinatorics and proababilty at the moment, but i guess the school system works different here. Always glad to help
[/quote]

I've never even seen the word combinatorics before.
[/quote]

http://www.mathsisfun.com/combinatorics/combinations-permutations.html

[quote name='Golfingfanatic' timestamp='1384414941' post='8147174']
[quote name='Thrillhouse' timestamp='1384406616' post='8146944']
[quote name='Golfingfanatic' timestamp='1384375273' post='8144446']
[quote name='Petethreeput' timestamp='1384374673' post='8144418']
Thanks everyone. I had no idea where else to turn. I am not hugely computer literate nor math literate apparently. I remember seeing the calculus question and the answer was automatic and I thought why not try it.

I will look at this problem again, hopefully with new inputs to be successful.

Don't know what my 8th grade math was, but I am pretty sure it wasn't this hard.
[/quote]

School has gotten harder in my opinion. I am now in the 11th grade in Switzerland and we are doing stuff like combinatorics and proababilty at the moment, but i guess the school system works different here. Always glad to help
[/quote]

I've never even seen the word combinatorics before.
[/quote]

http://www.mathsisfun.com/combinatorics/combinations-permutations.html
[/quote]

I'll pass

[quote name='ralvar' timestamp='1384370023' post='8143984']
[quote name='Petethreeput' timestamp='1384308027' post='8140488']
So, I can't change my browser because work is not compatible with ie10. Khan academy is not compatible with my old stuff. I cant find the solution on google, though I can find 8th grade math quizzes.

My daughter is confused, I am useless, please help.

Find the value of "a" for which the equation is an identity.

10x -35 +3ax = 5ax - 7x
[/quote]

Download google chrome for Khan Academy and keep your old version of IE for work.

And I get a = (17x - 35) / (2x)
[/quote]

I got the same thing. I had to get old school and bust out a paper and pen. Wish I would have seen this post first.

God i love math. Bless all of you for keeping it alive.

The only math I found chalengin was geometry because that stuff is just stupid.

LOL at "mathwrx"

[quote name='TheMackDaddy' timestamp='1384479206' post='8150778']
The only math I found chalengin was geometry because that stuff is just stupid.

LOL at "mathwrx"
[/quote]

Geometry was the easiest class I ever took. Aced it my freshman year of high school. I like it way more than algebra.

I wish I could have math this simple. Double and triple integrals aren't fun.

WOW got my brain cells (whats left of them) smoking. The old lady had to take the ear syringe and squirt water in there to put out the fire. Thanks

[quote name='Petethreeput' timestamp='1384308027' post='8140488']
So, I can't change my browser because work is not compatible with ie10. Khan academy is not compatible with my old stuff. I cant find the solution on google, though I can find 8th grade math quizzes.

My daughter is confused, I am useless, please help.

Find the value of "a" for which the equation is an identity.

10x -35 +3ax = 5ax - 7x
[/quote]
10x -35 +3ax = 5ax - 7x
+10x. +10x
-35+3ax=5ax+3x
-5ax. -5ax
-35 -2ax=3x
-2ax=3x+35
In highschool math and this is my best guess . You need a= a value or x= a value to fully solve for the other value

[quote name='awil' timestamp='1384566751' post='8156074']
[quote name='Petethreeput' timestamp='1384308027' post='8140488']
So, I can't change my browser because work is not compatible with ie10. Khan academy is not compatible with my old stuff. I cant find the solution on google, though I can find 8th grade math quizzes.

My daughter is confused, I am useless, please help.

Find the value of "a" for which the equation is an identity.

10x -35 +3ax = 5ax - 7x
[/quote]
10x -35 +3ax = 5ax - 7x
+10x. +10x
-35+3ax=5ax+3x
-5ax. -5ax
-35 -2ax=3x
-2ax=3x+35
In highschool math and this is my best guess . You need a= a value or x= a value to fully solve for the other value
[/quote]

You messed up with the +10x

Looking at the equation, divide it into x values and constant values.
This gives 10x + 3ax = 5ax and -35 = -7a.

Taking the 1st equation and subtract 3ax from both sides gives
10x = 2ax. This can be divided by 2x and gives 5 = a.

Using the 2nd equation to check a = 5, we have -35 = -7*5,
and -7*5 = -35, so it checks.

How come none of the engineers from the calculus thread showed up and did this?

[quote name='Thrillhouse' timestamp='1384578959' post='8156930']
How come none of the engineers from the calculus thread showed up and did this?
[/quote]

When I posted this, that is exactly what I was thinking. There are some incredibly smart and educated folks on this site, and since I clearly am not one of those, I thought I would try. I also cannot tell you all how much appreciate everyone's help, by those clearly more educated and intelligent than I (regardless of engineering degrees).

Also, "combinatorics" blew my mind. So not only do I not understand 8th grade math, but now I can't hang with 8th grade vocabulary. I am of half a mind to quit my job and go to classes with my daughter so I can consider myself educated.

I guess the main reason is that they are no longer used to this. I assume "simple" things like that is done automatically by computers, Secondly, if you forget the principle or the definition of something you cannot really come up with a solution.
Combinatorics sucks, trust me^^ Some of these problems can get really tough because sometimes you need to visualize it in a very special way otherwise there is just no formula for that problem.

if you think this is hard, let me know when you take fluid mechanics =)

[quote name='hebron1427' timestamp='1384626488' post='8158440']
if you think this is hard, let me know when you take fluid mechanics =)
[/quote]

Are you an Engineer?