Equation solver with steps
Type any linear equation and see every step: simplify, move the x terms, undo the numbers, divide and check.
🧒 Kids: type an equation like 3x + 7 = 22, or tap an example. Solve it on paper first, then check your steps here!
Equation solver
What the solver shows
The solver follows the same steps children learn at school. It simplifies each side, then gets all the x terms on one side and all the numbers on the other. Finally it divides by the number in front of x.
Every step says what is done to both sides, so the equation stays balanced. For small whole-number equations it also draws a balance picture. The last step puts the answer back into the original equation as a check.
Ready-made examples to try
Each link opens the solver with the equation filled in.
- x + 7 = 15: one-step
- 3x + 7 = 22: two-step
- −2x + 5 = 17: negative coefficient
- 4(x − 2) = 20: brackets
- 2(x + 3) + 4x = 30: brackets and like terms
- 5x + 4 = 2x + 19: x on both sides
- x/3 + 2 = 6: a fraction
- (2/3)x = 8: a fraction coefficient
- 0.5x + 1.2 = 3.7: decimals
- 3(x + 1) = 3x + 3: infinitely many solutions
How to type an equation
- Use any single letter for the unknown: x, n or y all work.
- Write 3x for 3 times x. You can also type 3*x.
- Brackets work: 4(x − 2) or −(x + 5).
- For fractions, type x/3 or (2/3)x. Decimals like 0.5x work too.
- Use exactly one = sign.
The steps, in order
- Simplify each side. Multiply out brackets and combine like terms, so 2(x + 3) + 4x becomes 6x + 6.
- Get the x terms on one side. Subtract the smaller x term from both sides.
- Get the numbers on the other side. Undo the adding or subtracting.
- Divide by the coefficient. Undo the multiplying, so x is on its own.
- Check. Put the answer back into the original equation.
The order matters: undo adding and subtracting before multiplying and dividing. That is the order of operations in reverse.
Common equation mistakes the steps catch
- Changing only one side: subtracting 7 on the left but not on the right.
- Dividing first: in 3x + 7 = 22, dividing 22 by 3 before taking away the 7.
- Brackets: writing 4(x − 2) as 4x − 2 instead of 4x − 8.
- Sign slips: −2x = 12 gives x = −6, not 6.
Equation skills by grade
| Grade | What children solve | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | One-step equations like x + 9 = 15 and 4x = 28 | 6.EE.B.7 |
| Grade 7 | Two-step equations like 3x + 7 = 22, with negatives and fractions | 7.EE.B.4a |
| Grade 8 | Multi-step equations, brackets, x on both sides, and no or infinitely many solutions | 8.EE.C.7 |
In India, simple equations start in class 7 (“Finding the Unknown”) and grow in class 8.
For teachers
Project the solver and ask the class to say the next step before you show it. To share an equation, add ?eq= and the equation to the address, for example ?eq=5x%2B4%3D2x%2B19. Nothing is stored and no login is needed.
More equation help
- Equation practice: 10 questions on any of 15 skills, marked as you go.
- Equation solver with steps: type any linear equation and see every step, with a check.
- Balance scale equations: solve puzzles by taking the same away from both sides.
- Worksheets: solving equations · make a one-step test · make a two-step test
Back to solving equations for kids · integers · order of operations · 6th grade math · 7th grade math · 8th grade math
Last reviewed
Questions parents ask
How do I use the equation solver?
Type an equation with one letter, like 3x + 7 = 22, and press Solve it. The solver simplifies each side, moves the x terms to one side, undoes the numbers and divides, then checks the answer.
What equations can the solver do?
Any linear equation in one letter: one-step and two-step equations, brackets like 4(x − 2) = 20, fractions like x/3 + 2 = 6, decimals, and x on both sides. It cannot solve equations with x² or two different letters.
How do you solve a two-step equation?
Undo the adding or subtracting first, then the multiplying or dividing. For 3x + 7 = 22, subtract 7 from both sides to get 3x = 15, then divide by 3 to get x = 5.
What does no solution or infinitely many solutions mean?
If the x terms cancel and the numbers left are different, like 3 = 7, nothing works: no solution. If they cancel and the numbers match, like 3 = 3, every value works: infinitely many solutions.
How do you check the answer to an equation?
Put the answer back into the original equation. If both sides come out the same, it is right.
Is it OK for my child to use an equation solver?
Yes, for checking and learning. Ask your child to solve on paper first, then compare each step with the solver’s.