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First of all, know how to multiply and divide integers.

Just like with adding and subtracting, the basic strategy of all this is to get x by itself without any negative sign in front. Remember that -x means (-1)x.

The other thing to remember is that x is a number. That means you can multiply or divide it just like any other number.

Example 1: Solve

-2x = 8

This is pretty basic. We divide both sides by -2. The answer is 8 ÷ (-2) = -4.

Example 2: Solve

x/3 = -6

This is not rocket science. Multiply both sides by 3. The answer is (3)(-6) = -18.

Example 3: Solve

18/x = -6

What we have to do here is cross-multiply the x and -6. The answer is (18)/(-6) = -3.

Of course, there is no law that says the numbers in the problem have to be integers.

Example 4: Solve

0.18 = 0.12(600,000/x)

If we multiply both sides by 100 we get 18 = 12(600,000/x). Now we can cross-multiply the x and 18 to get x = 12(600,000/18). Solving for x we get x = 400,000.