Solve 3x - 5 < 16

When solving inequalities, you should treat them like solving any regular equation that you are used to (ie. whatever operation you perform on the left hand side, you must perform on the right hand side also, and vice versa). Let's add 5 to both sides. This gives 3x < 21. Now divide both sides by 3. This gives x < 7. In exams, always check your answers. These types of questions will only take you a few seconds to check them over so it's definitely worth it! You can check by substituting any number less than 7 into the equation. Let'a try 4: 3(4) - 5 = 7, which is less than 16. So we have the correct answer! TIP: An alternative method would be to try substituting 7 into the inequality. 7 would produce an answer of 16 (which is not less than 16!). This tells us that anything less than 7 would work, which is what our answer (x < 7) also says.