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In the equation 12 = -x + 8, Tillie subtracts 8 from both sides to isolate the variable x.
Starting with:
12 = -x + 8
Subtracting 8 from both sides:
12 - 8 = -x + 8 - 8
4 = -x
This step simplifies the equation to:
4 = -x
Then, Tillie can further isolate x by multiplying both sides by -1 to get the final answer:
-4 = x
Therefore, the correct first step in solving the equation is to subtract 8 from both sides.