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Algebra Step-by-Step

Solve basic algebra with step-by-step working.

Use one x variable, numbers, + and −, and a single =. Examples: 3x + 5 = 20, 7 - 2x = x + 1.

x = 5
  1. Step 1. Start with the equation as written.3x + 5 = 20
  2. Step 2. Subtract 5 from both sides to move the constant to the right.3x = 15
  3. Step 3. Divide both sides by 3 to leave x on its own.x = 5
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How to use Algebra Step-by-Step

What this tool does

The algebra step-by-step tool solves a basic linear equation in one variable and, more importantly, shows every step of the working with a short explanation of what each move does and why. You type an equation such as 3x + 5 = 20, press Solve, and the tool walks through gathering the x terms, moving the constants, and dividing to leave x on its own — displaying the equation as it looks after each step. It loads with that sample already solved, so the format is clear immediately.

It is built for understanding, not just answers. A calculator gives you x = 5; this tool shows that subtracting 5 from both sides gives 3x = 15, then dividing by 3 gives x = 5. That is the difference between getting a result and learning the method.

When you would use it

Students use it to check homework and, more usefully, to see where their own working went wrong. Solve the equation on paper, then compare line by line — the first place your equation differs from the tool’s is the place to look. It is also a quiet tutor: work through several examples and the rhythm of “move the x terms, move the numbers, divide” becomes second nature.

Parents helping with homework use it to refresh a method they may not have used in years, with the explanations doing the remembering for them. Teachers use it to produce clean worked examples — the step descriptions are phrased the way linear equations are taught, so the output drops neatly into a worksheet or onto a board.

How to use it

  1. The box opens with the sample 3x + 5 = 20. Replace it with your own equation.
  2. Write it with x, numbers, + and −, and exactly one equals sign. Put coefficients straight before the x — 2x, 0.5x, -x.
  3. Press Solve, or just press Enter.
  4. Read the answer at the top, then the numbered steps below — each shows what was done and the equation that results.
  5. Use Copy steps to copy the answer and the full working as text.

How it works

The tool first splits your equation at the equals sign and parses each side into a “coefficient times x, plus constant” form, adding up any like terms it finds. Then it applies the standard solving moves in order: subtract the right-hand x term so all the x ends up on the left, subtract the left-hand constant so all the numbers end up on the right, and finally divide both sides by the coefficient of x. Each move becomes a step. If the x coefficient ends up as zero, the tool checks the remaining numbers to report either no solution or an identity.

For a quadratic equation, the quadratic equation solver and the broader equation solver are the right tools. To see the equation as a line on a graph, use the graph plotter.

Privacy

This tool runs entirely in your browser. The equation you type is parsed and solved locally in JavaScript — there is no upload, no logging and no storage between visits. Refreshing the page restores the sample equation. Because no server is involved, the tool keeps working offline once the page has loaded.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of equation can this tool solve?
It solves a basic linear equation in one variable, x. That means x appears only to the first power — no x squared, no x in a denominator. It can have x terms and number terms on both sides of the equals sign, such as 2x - 4 = 3x + 1, and it copes with decimals and negative coefficients. It does not handle quadratics, fractions of x, or more than one variable. For a quadratic equation, use the quadratic solver instead.
How do I type my equation?
Write it with the variable x, ordinary numbers, plus and minus signs, and exactly one equals sign. A coefficient goes directly before the x, so three x is written 3x and a half x is 0.5x. A plain x means 1x and -x means -1x. Examples that work: 3x + 5 = 20, 7 - 2x = x + 1, 4x = 10. Spaces are optional. If the tool cannot read what you typed, it shows a short message naming the part it could not understand.
Why does it show steps instead of just the answer?
The whole point of the tool is the working. Each step names a real algebraic move — gather the x terms on one side, move the constants to the other, divide to isolate x — and shows the equation as it looks after that move. Seeing the equation transform line by line is how you learn the method and how you check your own homework against a worked example. The final answer is shown too, at the top.
What if my equation has no solution or every value works?
Some linear equations are not solvable for a single value. If the x terms cancel out and the remaining numbers are unequal — like x + 1 = x + 2 — there is no solution, and the tool says so. If the x terms cancel and the numbers are equal — like 2x + 4 = 2(x + 2) once expanded — every value of x works, an identity, and the tool reports that instead of an answer. It detects both cases rather than dividing by zero.
Is my equation kept private?
Yes. The equation you type is parsed and solved by JavaScript running in your browser. Nothing is uploaded to a server, nothing is logged, and nothing is saved between visits — refreshing the page restores the sample equation. The tool works offline once the page has loaded, which confirms there is no server involved.

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