Erica solved the equation −5x − 25 = 78; her work is shown below. identify the error and where it was made. −5x − 25 = 78 step 1: −5x − 25 − 25 = 78 − 25 step 2: −5x = 53 step 3: negative five times x over negative five = fifty-three over negative five step 4: x = negative fifty-three over five step 1: she should have added 25 to each side. step 1: she should have divided both sides by −5. step 3: she should have divided both sides by −5. step 3: she should have multiplied both sides by −5.

Hi there! Her mistake is in step 1.

She subtracted -25 by 25. -25 - 25 = -50

What she SHOULD have done was add 25 to each side. This obeys the property of reciprocals.

-25 + 25 = 0

Hope this helps.

:)

Have you tried solving x yourself to possibly identify the error? 

We know that if we have something like 
2x - 3 = 2 and to solve for x, we have to get x alone as much as we can.  We have to take the opposite of -3 (which is +3) and add it to both sides of the equations
2x - 3 + 3 = 2 +3 , what that does is cancel out the three on both sides.

For this situation Erica has -5x -25 = 78 the first step she took to try and get x alone as much as she could was to subtract 25 on both sides, which is wrong!!
-5x - 25 - 25 = 78 -25 does not cancel 25 on the left hand side. In fact it doubles it.

So Erica messed up on step 1. She should have added 25 on both sides. 

Not sure what the question is?