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Part I.B
Chapter 2
B. Basic Algebra
Solve or simplify first-degree and singlevariable
equations. (Application)
Body of Knowledge I.B
SOLVING ALGEBRAIC EQUATIONS
When we solve an algebraic equation, we are finding the value of the unknown
variable, which is denoted by a letter. To illustrate, the following equations are all
examples of algebraic expressions:
x + 3=
5
6a
2 = 24
4s+ 4= 6s
9
7
y + 30 51
8
In each, the goal is to solve for the value or values of the variable that make the
expression true. We accomplish this by collecting terms and then isolating the
unknown variable on one side of the equation by performing inverse operations.
Properties of Real Numbers
In addition to the commutative, associative, and distributive properties of real
numbers (See Table 1.1, page 2), additional fundamental properties of real numbers
also exist, as shown in Table 2.1. Let a, b, and c be real numbers.
Inverse Operations
To isolate the variable on one side of the equation, we perform a series of inverse
operations on both sides of the equation. A list of inverse operations is shown in
Table 2.2.
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