Solving Literal Equations

Notice that the equation above has many different variables. However, $x$ is the variable of interest. To isolate $x,$ we need to move $By$ and $A$ to the right-hand side of the equation. Recall that only like terms can be combined. Solved for $x,$ the equation is $x = \dfrac{C-By}{A}.$

In the given formula, $C$ is the variable of interest. To isolate $C,$ we can move $32$ and $\frac{9}{5}$ to the left-hand side using inverse operations. Thus, the formula we can use to convert degrees Fahrenheit to Celsius is $C=\frac{5(F-32)}{9}.$ Let's use this to find the equivalent of $98 ^\circ$ Fahrenheit in $^\circ \text{Celsius}.$ To begin, we'll substitute $F=98.$ Thus, $98 ^\circ$ Fahrenheit is approximately equivalent to $37 ^\circ$ Celsius.