Can someboby me asap you too whoever marking brainliest

frederick william of brandenburg-prussia trained his son, frederick, to be a hardy soldier. but frederick disliked rifle shooting and horseback riding. unlike his father, he was interested in french literature. he enjoyed poetry and music and, like some others of the enlightenment, he scoffed at religion. his father thought him soft, frivolous and unmindful of his duties. and when frederick refused to put his signature on a right to succession, for a few moments his father strangled him.

simplify brackets

8 - 2a - 7 = a + 40

simplify 8 - 2a - 7 to -2a + 1

-2a + 1 = a + 40

add 2a to both sides

1 = a + 40 + 2a

simplify a + 40 + 2a to 3a + 40

1 = 3a + 40

subtract 40 from both sides

1 - 40 = 3a

simplify 1 - 40 o -39

-39 = 3a

divide both sides by 3

-39/3 = a

simplify 39/3 to 13

-13 = a

switch sides

a = -13