order of operations does division first, but you have to know that you must add -1 to 9 in order to get 8. Therefore, you must have a negative number over 6 and it has to be -6 in order for that negative number to be -1
9+a/6=8 Subtract 9 from both sides a/6= -1 Multiply 6 on both sides so that the only thing remaining on the left side is the variable a. Final Answer: a = -6