Question

Solve the equation. $$\frac{1}{2} x=-20$$

Short answer

The solution to the equation is \(x = -40\).

Step-by-step solution

Write down the initial equation

The original equation is \(\frac{1}{2} x=-20\). The goal is to solve for x, which means it needs to be isolated on one side of the equation.

Apply multiplication operation

In order to isolate x, the equation needs to be multiplied by 2 (reciprocal of \(\frac{1}{2}\)). This gives \(2 * \frac{1}{2}x = 2 * -20\).

Simplify the equation

The multiplication in step 2 results in \(x = -40\). Therefore, x, in this equation, is -40.