"the primary purpose of these floating gardens is to
(1)increase regional food supplies
(2)provide more goods for export
(3)serve as an island bridge to the mainland
(4)expand recreational areas for children
"

map scale refers to the relationship (or ratio) between distance on a map and the corresponding distance on the ground. for example, on a 1: 100000 scale map, 1cm on the map equals 1km on the ground.

simplify brackets

8 - 2a - 7 = a + 40

simplify 8 - 2a - 7 to -2a + 1

-2a + 1 = a + 40

add 2a to both sides

1 = a + 40 + 2a

simplify a + 40 + 2a to 3a + 40

1 = 3a + 40

subtract 40 from both sides

1 - 40 = 3a

simplify 1 - 40 o -39

-39 = 3a

divide both sides by 3

-39/3 = a

simplify 39/3 to 13

-13 = a

switch sides

a = -13