1. **Problem:** Solve the linear equation $2x - 18 = 44$ for $x$. 2. **Formula and property:** Use the property of equality which states that if you do the same operation on both sides of an equation, the equality holds. 3. **Step 1:** Add 18 to both sides to isolate the term with $x$: $$2x - 18 + 18 = 44 + 18$$ $$2x = 62$$ 4. **Step 2:** Divide both sides by 2 to solve for $x$: $$\frac{\cancel{2}x}{\cancel{2}} = \frac{62}{2}$$ $$x = 31$$ 5. **Answer:** The solution is $x = 31$. This completes the solution for the first problem.