1. Let's start by understanding the problem: You want to know what it means to isolate $x$, perform inverse operations, and subtract from both sides in an equation. 2. **Isolating $x$** means rearranging the equation so that $x$ is alone on one side of the equation. This helps us find the value of $x$. 3. **Inverse operations** are operations that undo each other. For example, addition and subtraction are inverse operations, as are multiplication and division. We use inverse operations to cancel out terms and isolate the variable. 4. **Subtracting from both sides** means if you subtract a number or expression from one side of the equation, you must subtract the same from the other side to keep the equation balanced. 5. For example, if we have the equation $$x + 3 = 7$$ - To isolate $x$, we want to get rid of the $+3$. - The inverse operation of adding 3 is subtracting 3. - So, we subtract 3 from both sides: $$x + 3 - 3 = 7 - 3$$ - Simplifying both sides gives: $$x = 4$$ 6. This process ensures the equation remains true while solving for $x$. In summary, isolating $x$ means getting $x$ alone by undoing operations using inverse operations like subtraction or division, and subtracting from both sides keeps the equation balanced.