Hello there!
8 = |5 - x|
Let's start by flipping the equation
|-x + 5| = 8
Now we need to solve for the absolute value
We know either -x + 5 = 8 or -x + 5 = -8
Let's solve the first part
-x + 5 = 8
-x = 8 - 5
-x = 3
We can't leave the variable with a negative sign, we can divide both sides by -1 or we can multiply both sides by -1
Multiply both sides by -1
-x * -1 = 3 * - 1
x = -3
Now let's solve the second possibilities
-x + 5 = -8
-x = -8 - 5
-x = -13
Multiply both sides by -1
-x * -1 = -13 * -1
x = 13
Thus,
The answer is: x = -3 or x=13
Good luck!
