To solve the equation [tex]\(0.7x - 1.4 = -3.5\)[/tex], we can follow these detailed steps:
1. Isolate the term with [tex]\(x\)[/tex]:
First, we'll get rid of the constant term on the left side of the equation by adding 1.4 to both sides:
[tex]\[
0.7x - 1.4 + 1.4 = -3.5 + 1.4
\][/tex]
This simplifies to:
[tex]\[
0.7x = -2.1
\][/tex]
2. Solve for [tex]\(x\)[/tex]:
Next, we'll divide both sides of the equation by 0.7 to isolate [tex]\(x\)[/tex]:
[tex]\[
x = \frac{-2.1}{0.7}
\][/tex]
3. Perform the division:
When we divide [tex]\(-2.1\)[/tex] by [tex]\(0.7\)[/tex], we get:
[tex]\[
x = -3.0000000000000004
\][/tex]
The result has very slight numerical inaccuracy due to floating-point arithmetic, which effectively is very close to -3.
Therefore, the value of [tex]\(x\)[/tex] is [tex]\(\boxed{-3}\)[/tex].
