AL

GE
BR
A
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Intr
od
ucti
on:
Algebra is
very vital for
today’s
world
knowledge.
Algebra is
used
extensively
in topics
such as
economics,
programmin
g, business,
engineering
and much
more!
Once you
start to
understand
Algebra, it
will be very
fun and
useful.
Ch
apt
er
1
In this
chapter, we
will look at
the basic
concepts of
Algebra
such as
expressions,
substitution
and
expanding
brackets.
Note that
you will
need to
understand
these
concepts in
further
chapters.
Topi
c
1.1
You have
most
certainly
solved
questions
like 2 + __
= 8 in
elementary
school. As
you can tell,
the blank is
equal to 6.
In Algebra
however, we
use letters
to represent
unknown
values. The
most
common
letter we
use in
Algebra is x
so instead of
2 + __ = 8,
we write it
as 2 + x =
8. Other
examples
are
a + b = 8.
You can tell
that the
letter a can
equal to 7
and the
letter b can
equal to 1
since 7 + 1
= 8.
However,
the letter a
can also
equal to 6
and the
letter b can
equal to 2
since
6 + 2 = 8. In
this case, a
and b are
called
variables.
You have
also used
Algebra
when
calculating
areas of
shapes like
the area of a
rectangle.
We can write
a formula for
the area of a
rectangle as
A=lxh
where A is
the area of a
rectangle, l
is the length
of the
rectangle
and h is the
height of the
rectangle.
Topi
c
1.2
As we said
in topic 1.1,
Algebra uses
letters to
represent
unknown
values. We
will expand
our
understandi
ng of
Algebra by
looking at
algebraic
expressions.
An algebraic
expression
is a group of
numbers
and
variables
with
algebraic
operations.
Expressions
are made up
of terms.
Look at
example 1.1
to
understand
expressions.
EXAMPLE
1.1
The average
height of a
student in a
particular
classroom is
h feet.
Find the
average
height of a
student that
has a
height:
1.5 feet
below
average
2.10 feet
above
average
3.Has half
the height of
the average

1.h – 5 feet
2. h + 10
feet
3. ½ x h
feet
There are
certain
rules in
algebra that
help us
simplify
expressions.

 2 x X is
written 2X
and L x H
 is written
as LH
 X means
X x 1 but
we only
 write it as
X
½ x X is
written as
X/2 and X
divided by
 Y is written
as X/Y
 X x X is
written as
X^2 and X
x X x X is
 written as
X^3
 When we
write a
product of
a number
and a
variable
we place
the
number
before the
variable.
For
example, y
x 2 is
written as
2y not y2.
Look at
example
1.2 to
learn how
to apply
the rules.

Exampl
e 1.2
Simplify
these
expression
s.
1.The
number x
multiplied
by 4
2.The
number y
divided by
3
3.The
product of
a and b
4.The
number w
multiplied
by 6 and
then
subtracted
by 2

1.4x
2.y/3
3.ab
4.6w – 2
Topi
c
1.3
In this
topic, we
will learn
about
substitutio
n. Imagine
a car
traveling
away from
home. The
distance it
travels at
first is d
miles. After
a bit of
time, the
distance
doubled so
the
distance
traveled is
now 2d
miles.
Then later
travels an
extra 5
miles and
then stops.
Let the
total
distance
traveled be
D miles.
So, the
new
equation
for the
total
distance
traveled is
D = 2d + 5
miles. If
the
distance at
first is 5
miles, then
the total
distance
traveled is
15 miles.
This is true
since if d =
5, D = 2d
+ 5 = 2(5)
+ 5 = 10 +
5 = 15. If
the
distance at
first is 10
miles, the
total
distance
traveled is
25 miles
since D =
2d + 5 =
2(10) + 5
= 25. This
is
substitutio
n. Look at
example
1.3 to have
a better
understand
ing of
substitutio
n.
Exampl
e 1.3
Find the
value of v
if v = ab/c
if:
1.a = 5,b
= 5 and c
=5
1.a = 4, b
= 2 and c
= 16
1.a = 8, b
= 10 and c
=5
1.v = 5 x
5/5 = 5
2.v = 4 x
2/16 =
8/16 = ½
3.v = 8 x
10/5 =
80/5 =
16
Now try
this
challengin
g question.
Challen
ge

NASA
launched a
satellite to
space
which is
heading to
the moon.
Once it
reaches
500 miles
above the
moon, the
satellite
drops
towards
the moon.
The
distance it
travels as
it falls in
miles is
modelled
with the
algebraic
equation
d = 3t + 5
where d is
the
distance
traveled in
miles and t
is time in
seconds.
Determine
if it will
land on the
moon in
2.5
minutes.
Topi
c
1.4
You should
know now
that
Algebraic
expression
s have
terms
separated
by
algebraic
operations.
The
number
behind a
variable is
known as
the
coefficient.
For
example,
the
coefficient
of 2a is 2
and the
coefficient
of 3xy is 3.
A term
with only
numbers is
called a
constant.
To simplify
algebraic
expression
s, we
collect like
terms. Like
terms are
terms with
the same
variables.
For
example,
3x and 4x
are like
terms but
4y and 7xy
are unlike
terms.
Look at
example
1.4 to have
more
understand
ing about
simplifying
expression
s.

Exampl
e 1.4
Simplify:
1.4a + 2a
+a
2.4xy + 6x
+ 12xy +
4x
3.4x^2 +
6x + 4 +
3x^2 + 3

1. 4a + 2a
+ a = 7a
2. 4xy +
6x + 12xy
+ 4x =
12xy + 4xy
+ 6x + 4x
=
16xy +
10x
3. 4x^2 +
6x + 4 +
3x^2 + 3
=
4x^2 +
3x^2 + 6x
+4+3=
7x^2 + 6x
+7
Topi
c
1.5
For the
final part
of this
chapter,
we will
look at
expanding
brackets.
Look at
expression
2(3+5).
You should
know that
2(3+5) =
2(3) + 2(5)
= 6 + 10 =
16 but
what about
an
expression
like
2(z+y)? To
expand
this, we
multiply
the outside
term to
each term
inside the
bracket.
So,
2(z+y) = 2
xz+2xy
= 2z + 2y.
Look at
example
1.5 for
more
context.
Exampl
e 1.5
Expand:
1.3(2x + y)
 2.5(3xy +
9x)
3.10(x +
2y + 5z +
7)
1.3(2x + y)
= 3 x 2x
+3xy
= 6x +
3y
2.5(3xy+9
x) = 5 x
3xy + 5
x 9x =
15xy +
45x
3.-10(w +
2y - 5z -
7) =
-10 x w
+ -10 x
2y + -10
x -5y + -
10 x -7
= -10w –
20y +
5oy + 70
rememb
er that +
x + = +,
+x-=-
and – x -
= +.
Know
that you
have
finished
this first
chapter,
solve
these
question
s that
can show
you how
Algebra
is used
practicall
y and to
make
sure you
understa
nd this
chapter.

1.The
averag
e
speed
of a
car on
a
particu
lar
road is
x mph.
Sam
drives
a car
that
moves
5mph
less
than
twice
the
averag
e
speed.
a.Find
an
expr
essio
n for
the
spee
d of
 Sam’
s car
b.Now
find
the
spee
d of
Sam’
s car
if the
aver
age
spee
d of
the
road
is
 60m
ph
2. The
averag
e
orbital
speed
of a
planet
orbitin
g the
sun is
equal
to 2 x
3.142
x R/T
where
R is
orbital
radius
and T
is the
orbital
period.
Find
the
averag
e
orbital
speed
of the
planet
earth
gives
that
the
orbital
radius
of
earth
is
92.96
million
miles,
and
the
orbital
period
 is 365
days.
3.A
biologi
st has
modele
d an
equati
on for
the
rate at
which
the
height
of a
specifi
c
species
of
trees
change
s. It is
given
as h =
2t + 3
+ 4t +
7+0
where
h is
height
in feet
and t is
time in
years.
a. Sim
plify
the
right-
hand
expre
ssion.
b. calc
ulate
the
heigh
t of
one
of
these
trees
if it
was
growi
 ng for
10
years
.
c. The
tree
stops
growi
ng
after
21
years
.
Calcu
late
the
maxi
mum
heigh
t it
can
ever
reach
.
4.A
physici
st
wants
to find
the
power
of an
electric
al
compo
nent,
he
placed
the
compo
nent in
a
circuit
and
placed
an
ammet
er to
measur
e the
current
flowing
throug
h the
circuit
and
placed
a
voltme
ter to
measur
e the
potenti
al
differe
nce .
Given
that
power
=
current
x
potenti
al
differe
nce,
find
the
power
of the
compo
nent if
there
was a
current
of 50
amps
and a
potenti
al
 differe
nce of
240
Volts.
5.The
volume
of a
pond
on a
hot
sunny
day is
decrea
sing at
a
known
rate.
Given
that
V=-
o.75t +
15
where
V is
volume
of the
pond in
liters
and t is
time in
minute
s.
a. find
the
volu
me of
the
pond
after
5
minut
es.
b. Now
find
the
volu
me of
the
pond
after
20
minut
es
and
sugg
est
why
the
equat
ion
would
not
be
valid
if t
was
 larger
than
20.
6.A US
aircraft
is
launch
ed off
a
militar
y ship.
The
force
applied
to push
the
aircraft
forwar
d was
20000
newton
s but
due to
air
resista
nce
there
was
only a
force
of
12000
newton
s. The
aircraft
has an
acceler
ation
of
10m/s
^2 to
launch
off.
Deter
mine
the
mass
of the
aircraft
using
the
formul
am=
f/a
where
m is
the
mass
in
kilogra
ms, f is
the net
force in
newton
s and a
is
acceler
ation
in
meters
per
second
 square
d.
7.A
farmer
has a
fielding
fence
with a
perime
ter of
l+h
inches.
Then
he
buys
other
fences
with a
total
length
of w
inches
and
adds
the
new
fences
to the
fielding
fence.
Then
he
tripled
the
perime
ter of
the
fielding
fence.
a. Find
the
new
expre
ssion
of the
perim
eter
of the
fieldi
ng
fence
in
inche
s.
b. Find
the
perim
eter
in
inche
s if, l
= 1o,
h=
25
and
w=
50.
C
h
a
p
t
e
r
2
In
this
chapt
er,
we
will
learn
how
to
solve
simpl
e
linear
equat
ions
and
rearr
angin
g. You
need
to
learn
how
to
solve
linear
equat
ions
to
learn
how
to
solve
nonli
near
equat
ions
such
as
quadr
atics,
cubic
s and
so
on.
To
pi
c
2.
1