Question

what equation does this set of algebra tiles represent? combine like terms on each side of the equation. for example, write 3 instead of 1 + 1 + 1.

Explanation:

Step1: Analyze left - hand side (LHS)

The left - hand side has one \(-x\) tile and five \(-1\) tiles. So the expression for the LHS is \(-x+(- 1)+(-1)+(-1)+(-1)+(-1)\). Combining the constant terms (the \(-1\)s), we have \(-x - 5\) (since \(5\times(-1)=-5\)).

Step2: Analyze right - hand side (RHS)

The right - hand side has fifteen \(-1\) tiles. So the expression for the RHS is \((-1)+(-1)+\cdots+(-1)\) (fifteen times). Combining these, we get \(-15\) (since \(15\times(-1)=-15\)).

Step3: Form the equation

Now that we have combined the like terms on each side, the equation is \(-x - 5=-15\).

Answer:

\(-x - 5=-15\)