Name: ____________________ Date: __________________________

Period: ____________________ Unit 4: Solving Algebraic Equations (Part I)

Up until today, we have been working with algebraic expressions (mostly polynomials). We have
been adding them, subtracting them, multiplying them, and dividing them. Today, we begin using
algebraic expressions in equations.

An equation is ______________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

An equation is true only if the quantity on one side has the same value as the quantity on the other side.
For example:

Ex 1: A true equation Ex 2: A false equation

Ex 3: A true equation Ex 4: An equation that could be true.

Not all equations are true or false. Some of them could be either true or false, but were not sure
because we cant figure out the value of the quantity on one (or both) sides of the equation. Normally,
this is because the equation contains a variable.

A variable is _______________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

When we are asked to solve an equation, we are being asked to find a value for the variable that
makes the equation true. In order to do this, we need to isolate the variable, or get the variable by
itself on one side of the equation.

Below is a chart listing the four basic arithmetic operations. Fill in the other half of the chart with the
opposite of each operation:
Operations Opposite

Addition (+)

Subtraction (-)

Multiplication ( )

Division ( )
 Solving one-step equations

In each example and problem, were going to solve the equation by finding a value for the variable x.

Ex 1: 5 + x = 7 Ex 2: x + 6 = 3 Ex 3: x + a = b

Ex 4: x 6 = 3 Ex 5: x 5 = -1 Ex 6: x c = m

Ex 7: 5x = 10 Ex 8: 7x = 13 Ex 9: ax = g

1 4
Ex 10: x8 Ex 11: 4 x 16 Ex 12: x 20
2 5

x x
Ex 13: 10 Ex 14: x 7 3 Ex 15: y
5 m

In order to solve one-step equations:

Step 1) Identify

Step 2) Solve by
Review: In order to solve a one-step equation, you _______________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Review: Example 16: In order to solve x 5 7 , you must _________________________________

5
Review Example 17: In order to solve x 10 , you must
7
__________________________________

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Two-step equations can be solved using two steps. This is because two different operations are
being performed on x.

What two operations are being performed on x in each example?

x ( x 7)
Example A: 3 x 4 10 Example B: 8 13 Example C: 5
3 3

Solving two-step equations (or any equations for that matter) is similar to solving one-step

equations: the goal is to ______________________________________________________________.

We do this by undoing the operations being performed on x. We always start with the operation that is
furthest from the variable:

Example 18: 3 x 4 10

x
Example 19: 8 13
3

( x 7)
Example 20: 5
3
 Solving two-step equations

Problems:

Prob 1: 5x 3 7 Prob 2: 7 x 6 3 Prob 3: ax b c

x x
Prob 4: 2 x 15 3 Prob 5: 3 2 Prob 6: t p
5 m

x
Prob 7: 8 3 Prob 8: 8 2 x 12 Prob 9: z ax w
5

1 3 3x 1
Prob 10: x 8 Prob 11: 2 Prob 12: 3 x a 20
2 4 5 6

x3 7x 1 x k
Prob 13: 10 *Prob 14: 3 Prob 15: m p y
6 5

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Other Techniques
There are other techniques we can use to isolate the variable:

I. Distributing
Example 21: 5( x 3) 10 Example 22: 3( x 2) 9

We can distribute when _______________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

II. Breaking Up Fractions

x4 6 x
Example 23: 9 Example 24: 3
5 x

We can break up a fraction only when ___________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

III. Cross-Multiplying
x4 6 x
Example 23, Again: 9 Example 24, Again: 3
5 x

We can cross-multiply only when _______________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________
Problems
Solve the following problems using your knowledge of algebra.
2
Prob 16) 8( 2 x 7) 50 22 Prob 17) ( x 9) x 10 0
3

Prob 18) 5( x 2) 2( x 4) 0 Prob 19) a( x z ) w c

Prob 20) 8 x 3( x 6) 2 Prob 21) a ( x y ) b( x z ) m

Prob 22) 5( x 7) 3( x 4) 6( x 2) 5 Prob 23) ( x 2)( x 3) x 2 56

 2x 8 9 3 3x 5
Prob 24) 5 Prob 25) Prob 26) 2
3 8x 1 5 7

7 x 15 12 a b a ( x b) d e
Prob 27) Prob 28) Prob 29)
11 22 x y c f

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So what happens when there are multiple fractions on one side of an equation? We cant cross-
multiply right away. We have to simplify the expression into a single fraction first!

x x 7 x x 2
Ex 25: Ex 26:
4 3 12 3 4 3

4x 1 2x 1 3
Ex 27:
7 6 2
 3 x 4 x 17 x 2x 5 1 3( x 7) 6
Prob 30) Prob 31) Prob 32)
8 5 4 4 3 12 2 5 10

x 4 3( x 3) 1 3x 1 3 2 x
Prob 33) Prob 34) 2
4 7 2 4 6

3 x 1 2 x 5 17
Prob 35)
4 3 6

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Instead of attempting to get a single fraction on each side of the equation, we can attempt to completely
eliminate the fraction instead. To do this, we need to find the least common denominator.

The least common denominator is ______________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

x 1 2 x 1 3 x 4 40
Ex 28: Find the LCD:
2 3 5 3

3 x 1 2 x 5 17
Ex 29: Find the LCD:
4 3 6

ax c m
Ex 30: Find the LCD:
b d n

Once we have the LCD, we can use it to solve the equation by eliminating all of the fractions!

x 1 2 x 1 3 x 4 40
Ex 28, Again:
2 3 5 3
 3 x 1 2 x 5 17
Ex 29, Again:
4 3 6

ax c m
Ex 30, Again:
b d n
To solve by eliminating fractions, we perform the following steps:

Problems:
Solve each problem for the variable x
7 5x 1 5x 2x 1 2
Prob 36) Prob 37)
6 3 9 9 3

3x 4 x x 2 x 11
Prob 38) 1 Prob 39)
8 8 4 3 12
 3 x 21 3 18 x 6 12 9 x
Prob 40) Prob 41) 2
10 5 24 24

x 4 3x 9 1 h x y
Prob 42) Prob 43)
4 7 2 m z

ax ab f g
Prob 44)
de h
Review Problems:
Below is an algebraic equation with rational expressions (a rational expression is a fraction). In the
column on the left, you are going to solve the problem. Then, in the corresponding column on the
right, write down in words what you did.

Here is an example, in case you are confused.

Example 31:
2( r 4) 5(r 7) 0

Work Explanation______________________________
2(r 4) 5( r 7) 0 Original Problem
2r 8 5(r 7) 0 Distribute the 2 over the (r 4)
2r 8 5r 35 0 Distribute the -5 over the (r 7)
3r 8 35 0 Combine like terms with a variable
Do this by adding 2r 5r
3r 27 0 Combine like terms without a variable.
Do this by adding 8 + 35.
3r 27 Get r by itself on one side of the equation.
Do this by subtracting 27 from both sides.
3r 27 Get r by itself on one side of the equation
Do this by dividing both sides by -3
r 9 Solution for r.

Prob 45) Now solve this problem in the column on the left, and write the steps you used in the
column on the right:

3x 1
2
5

Work Explanation_______________________
Prob 46) Now do it again with a slightly harder problem:

x 3 3x 4
3
7 8

Work Explanation_______________________