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Tangle Trap Level 1 Hard maths puzzle involving algebra, answer box, linear equation and parentheses

Tangle Trap – Level 1 – Hard

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Topics: algebra, answer box, linear equation, parentheses, polynomial simplification, polynomials

Untangle the following equation, to find the value of x.

Enter the value of x into the Answer box.

-x² + x(x – 8) – 10x + (x – 5)(x + 3) + (x + 5)² – 20 = x² + x + (x – 5)(x + 3) + 5

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Additional instructions for Tangle Trap (Level 1, Hard)

Tangle Trap – Hard

Organisation trick: after full expansion, sort terms before combining.

  • Group by power/type: x² terms, x terms, constants (and any other variables).
  • Add coefficients within each group.
  • Rewrite the final expression in descending order (x², then x, then constants).

Tip: if the puzzle expects a particular form (simplified vs factorised), follow the instruction exactly.

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