Solve a simple equation one step at a time
Keep an equation balanced and check your result.
Solve a word problem in 4 steps
1:131-page summary: Word problems: 4 steps that work every time
- Find the question. Name the number you need, like x.
- Write what you know as an equation.
- Solve one move at a time. Do the same thing to both sides.
- Check your answer in the story. Does it really fit?
Read the transcript
Word problems look long, but most of them follow the same four steps.
Here is one. A phone plan costs 25 dollars a month, plus 10 cents for each text. Your bill is 32 dollars. How many texts did you send?
Step one: find the question. It asks for the number of texts. Call that number x.
Step two: write what you know as an equation. 25 dollars, plus 10 cents times x, equals 32 dollars.
Step three: solve it, one move at a time. Take 25 from both sides. Now 0.10 times x equals 7. Divide both sides by 0.10. x equals 70.
Step four: check it. 70 texts at 10 cents is 7 dollars. Add the 25 dollar plan, and you get 32. It matches.
So the answer is 70 texts.
Find the question. Write the equation. Solve one move at a time. Then check. Try it on the next practice question.
Captions are on by default. Narrated with an AI voice (ElevenLabs).
Keep both sides balanced
An equation says two expressions have the same value. In x + 7 = 19, subtract 7 from both sides to get x = 12.
For 3x + 4 = 22, subtract 4 from both sides to get 3x = 18. Then divide both sides by 3: x = 6. Here 3x means 3 multiplied by x.
Put your answer back
Check x = 6 in the original equation: 3 × 6 + 4 = 22. It matches the right side.
Write one change per line so a sign mistake is easier to find.
Your turn.
Try each question before opening the explanation. These are FinishHigh practice examples, not GED® test questions.
Solve x − 5 = 11.
Show the answer and why
x = 16. Add 5 to both sides. Check: 16 − 5 = 11.
Solve 4x + 3 = 27.
Show the answer and why
x = 6. Subtract 3 and divide by 4. Check: 4 × 6 + 3 = 27.
A taxi charges $4 plus $2 per mile. The total is $18. How many miles?
Show the answer and why
7 miles. Solve 4 + 2m = 18: subtract 4, then divide by 2.
Trusted sources and further study
Sources guide the topics and factual information. The lesson wording, examples, and questions are original FinishHigh material.
- Math study booklet ↗GED Testing Service · checked 2026-10-07
- Khan Academy skill practice ↗Khan Academy · checked 2026-10-07
- Light & Salt GED® Math test Crash Course ↗Light & Salt Learning · checked 2026-10-07
Another small step
Independent practice, not the GED® test or a pass guarantee. Aid and admission depend on the provider’s rules.
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