Verified answer

Your goal is to get the variables all on one side of the equal sign, and then to get it by itself, and whatever you do on one side of the equation, you have to do to the other side:

a+2=5+4a So subtract an a from both sides:

a-a+2=5+4a-a

2=5+3a now subtract 5 from both sides:

2-5=5-5+3a

-3=3a Finally, divide both sides by 3:

-3/3=3a/3

-1=a

wpf.

a= 5+4a-2

a-4a=5-2

-3a=3

a=3/-3

a=-1