3u - 1 = 17

Understand the Problem

The question is asking us to solve the equation 3u - 1 = 17 for the variable u. This involves isolating u by moving terms around and performing algebraic operations.

Answer

$u = 6$
Answer for screen readers

The final answer is $u = 6$.

Steps to Solve

  1. Add 1 to both sides
    To isolate the term with $u$, we start by adding 1 to both sides of the equation to eliminate the -1.
    $$ 3u - 1 + 1 = 17 + 1 $$
    This simplifies to:
    $$ 3u = 18 $$

  2. Divide both sides by 3
    Next, we divide both sides of the equation by 3 to solve for $u$.
    $$ \frac{3u}{3} = \frac{18}{3} $$
    This simplifies to:
    $$ u = 6 $$

The final answer is $u = 6$.

More Information

The solution indicates that when you substitute $u = 6$ back into the original equation, both sides will equal 17, confirming that it is a valid solution.

Tips

  • Forgetting to perform the same operation on both sides of the equation can lead to incorrect answers. Always ensure that every operation is applied uniformly.
  • Miscalculating when adding or dividing. Double-check simple arithmetic to avoid mistakes.

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