To solve the equation $2(x - 9) = -2$, follow these steps:

1. Distribute the 2 on the left-hand side: $2(x - 9) = 2x - 18$ So the equation becomes: $2x - 18 = -2$

2. Add 18 to both sides of the equation to isolate the term with $x$: $2x - 18 + 18 = -2 + 18$ This simplifies to: $2x = 16$

3. Divide both sides by 2 to solve for $x$: $\frac{2x}{2} = \frac{16}{2}$ Simplifying gives: $x = 8$

Thus, the solution is $x = 8$.

Would you like more details or have any questions?

Here are 5 related questions to expand on this:

1. What happens if the right-hand side is a positive number instead of negative?
2. How would you solve the equation if there was a fraction involved?
3. Can you solve $3(x - 7) = 12$?
4. What if the equation was $2(x - 9) = -2(x + 3)$?
5. How do you check if your solution is correct in equations like this?

Tip: Always check your solution by substituting the value of $x$ back into the original equation to verify the result.