Solve Equations with Variables and Constants on Both Sides: example 8.27

This equation has $2a$ on the left and $5a$ on the right. Since $5>2,$ make the right side the variable side and the left side the constant side.

Subtract $2a$ from both sides to remove the variable term from the left.
Combine like terms.
Subtract 8 from both sides to remove the constant from the right.
Simplify.
Divide both sides by 3 to make 1 the coefficient of $a$.
Simplify.
Check: Let $a=\mathrm{-5}$.

Note that we could have made the left side the variable side instead of the right side, but it would have led to a negative coefficient on the variable term. While we could work with the negative, there is less chance of error when working with positives. The strategy outlined above helps avoid the negatives!