Answer :
To find b/3, you must move the +17 from one side of the equation to the other. To be able to do that, you must change the operation sign in front of the 17. Therefore, b/3 would be 48-17, b/3 = 31. Then, in order to find b, you must also move the /3 to the other side to be able to isolate variable b. This action also requires you to change signs. Therefore b would equal 31 multiplied by 3, b = 93.
-- Subtract 17 from each side --- b/3 = 31 --- Multiply each side by 3 --- b = 93 . Note that you don't 'move' things from one side to the other. You simply do the same thing to both sides.
