Basics of Algebra

Algebra is a fundamental branch of mathematics that deals with solving equations

and manipulating symbols to represent unknown quantities. It serves as a stepping
stone for more advanced mathematical concepts. Here are some key notes on the
basics of algebra:

Variables and Constants:

Variables are represented by letters (e.g., x, y, a, b) and represent unknown values

that need to be determined.

Constants are specific numbers that have fixed values and are represented by
numerals (e.g., 2, 5, -3).

Expressions:

Expressions are combinations of variables, constants, and mathematical operations

(e.g., addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) but do not include an equal sign.

Example: 3x + 5 is an expression.

Equations:

Equations are mathematical statements that use an equal sign (=) to indicate that the
expressions on both sides have the same value.

Solving equations involves finding the value of the variable that satisfies the
equation.

Example: 2x - 7 = 11 is an equation.

Simplifying Expressions:

To simplify an expression, combine like terms (terms with the same variables and
exponents).

Example: 2x + 3x can be simplified to 5x.

Order of Operations:

The order of operations (PEMDAS/BODMAS) helps in evaluating expressions and

solving equations correctly.

Parentheses/Brackets, Exponents/Orders, Multiplication, Division, Addition, and

Subtraction are performed in that order.

Solving Equations:
To solve an equation, apply inverse operations (operations that undo each other) to
isolate the variable on one side of the equation.

Example: To solve 3x + 7 = 16, first subtract 7 from both sides to get 3x = 9, and then
divide both sides by 3 to find x = 3.

Linear Equations:

Linear equations have variables raised to the first power and do not involve complex
operations like division by a variable or taking roots.

Example: 2x + 5 = 11 is a linear equation.

Quadratic Equations:

Quadratic equations involve variables raised to the second power (x^2) and are
generally in the form ax^2 + bx + c = 0, where a, b, and c are constants.

They can be solved using various methods like factoring, completing the square, or
using the quadratic formula.

Inequalities:

Inequalities compare two expressions or values using symbols such as < (less than),
> (greater than), ≤ (less than or equal to), or ≥ (greater than or equal to).

Example: 2x + 3 > 7 is an inequality.

Graphing:

Graphs visually represent algebraic expressions and equations on the coordinate

plane, where x and y axes represent variables.

Straight lines represent linear equations, and curves represent non-linear equations.
some basic equations and their solutions:
Linear Equation:

Equation: 2x + 3 = 7

Solution: Subtract 3 from both sides: 2x = 7 - 3 = 4 Divide by 2: x = 4 / 2 = 2

Quadratic Equation:

Equation: x^2 - 5x + 6 = 0

Solution: Factor the equation: (x - 2)(x - 3) = 0 Set each factor to zero and solve for x:
x-2=0→x=2x-3=0→x=3

Absolute Value Equation:

Equation: |2x + 1| = 5

Solution: Set the expression inside the absolute value bars equal to both positive and
negative values: 2x + 1 = 5 → 2x = 5 - 1 = 4 → x = 4 / 2 = 2 -(2x + 1) = 5 → -2x - 1 =
5 → -2x = 5 + 1 = 6 → x = 6 / -2 = -3 Solutions: x = 2 and x = -3

System of Linear Equations:

Equations: 2x + y = 7 3x - y = 5

Solution: Add the two equations to eliminate y: 2x + y + 3x - y = 7 + 5 → 5x = 12

Divide by 5: x = 12 / 5 Substitute x into either equation to find y: 2(12 / 5) + y = 7 →
24/5 + y = 7 → y = 7 - 24/5 Find the common denominator and solve for y: y = (35 -
24) / 5 = 11 / 5 Solutions: x = 12/5 and y = 11/5

Quadratic Inequality:

Equation: x^2 - 4x > 4

Solution: Factor the equation: (x - 2)(x - 2) > 4 Simplify: (x - 2)^2 > 4 Take the square
root: |x - 2| > 2 Set up two cases: x - 2 > 2 or x - 2 < -2 Solve for each case: x - 2 > 2
→ x > 2 + 2 → x > 4 x - 2 < -2 → x < 2 - 2 → x < 0 Solution: x < 0 or x > 4
Rational Equation:

Equation: (x + 3) / 2 = 5

Solution: Multiply both sides by 2 to eliminate the denominator: x + 3 = 5 * 2 → x + 3

= 10 Subtract 3 from both sides: x = 10 - 3 → x = 7 Solution: x = 7

Exponential Equation:

Equation: 2^(2x) = 16

Solution: Rewrite 16 as a power of 2: 2^(2x) = 2^4 Since the bases are the same, set
the exponents equal to each other: 2x = 4 Divide by 2: x = 4 / 2 → x = 2 Solution: x =
2

Logarithmic Equation:

Equation: log(x) = 2

Solution: By definition of logarithm, rewrite the equation as: x = 10^2 Calculate the
result: x = 100 Solution: x = 100

Absolute Value Inequality:

Equation: |3x - 5| < 7

Solution: Set up two cases: 3x - 5 < 7 and -(3x - 5) < 7 Solve for each case: 3x - 5 < 7
→ 3x < 7 + 5 → 3x < 12 → x < 12 / 3 → x < 4 -(3x - 5) < 7 → -3x + 5 < 7 → -3x < 7 -
5 → -3x < 2 → x > -2/3 Solution: -2/3 < x < 4

System of Linear Equations with Three Variables:

Equations: 2x + y - z = 5 x - 3y + 2z = 6 3x - y + 4z = 2

Solution: Use elimination or substitution to solve the system. The solution is x = 1, y

= -1, and z = 2.
Quadratic Equation with Complex Solutions:

Equation: x^2 + 6x + 13 = 0

Solution: Since the discriminant (b^2 - 4ac) is negative, the solutions are complex
numbers. x = (-b ± √(b^2 - 4ac)) / 2a x = (-6 ± √(6^2 - 4 * 1 * 13)) / 2 * 1 x = (-6 ±
√(36 - 52)) / 2 x = (-6 ± √(-16)) / 2 x = (-6 ± 4i) / 2 x = -3 ± 2i Solutions: x = -3 + 2i
and x = -3 - 2i

some frequently asked exam questions from various

algebra topics along with their solutions:
1. Question: Solve the following linear equation for x: 2x - 3 = 7

Solution: Add 3 to both sides: 2x = 7 + 3 = 10 Divide both sides by 2: x = 10 / 2 = 5

Solution: x = 5

2. Question: Factor the following quadratic equation: x^2 - 9x + 20 = 0

Solution: The factors of 20 that add up to -9 are -4 and -5. Rewrite the equation
using the factors: x^2 - 4x - 5x + 20 = 0 Factor by grouping: x(x - 4) - 5(x - 4) = 0
Factor out the common factor: (x - 4)(x - 5) = 0 Set each factor to zero and solve for
x: x - 4 = 0 → x = 4 x - 5 = 0 → x = 5 Solutions: x = 4 and x = 5

3. Question: Simplify the expression and state any restrictions on the variable: (x^2 -
9) / (x + 3)

Solution: The expression can be simplified by factoring the numerator: (x^2 - 9) = (x

- 3)(x + 3) Cancel out the common factor in the numerator and denominator: (x - 3)(x
+ 3) / (x + 3) The restriction is that x ≠ -3 because division by zero is not allowed.
Simplified expression: x – 3
4. Question: Solve the following system of equations: 2x + 3y = 10 4x - y = 7

Solution: Multiply the second equation by 3 to eliminate y: 3(4x - y) = 3 * 7 → 12x -

3y = 21 Add the two equations to eliminate y: 2x + 3y + 12x - 3y = 10 + 21 → 14x =
31 Divide by 14: x = 31 / 14 Substitute x into the first equation to find y: 2(31 / 14) +
3y = 10 Simplify: 62/14 + 3y = 10 Subtract 62/14 from both sides: 3y = 10 - 62/14
Find the common denominator and solve for y: y = (140 - 62) / 42 = 78 / 42 = 13 / 7
Solutions: x = 31/14 and y = 13/7

5. Question: Solve the following inequality and represent the solution on the
number line: 2x - 5 < 7

Solution: Add 5 to both sides to isolate the variable: 2x < 7 + 5 → 2x < 12 Divide by
2: x < 12 / 2 → x < 6 Solution: x < 6 To represent the solution on the number line,
draw an open circle at 6 (since it is not included) and shade to the left of 6.

6. Question: Solve the following quadratic equation for x: 3x^2 - 12x + 9 = 0

Solution: Divide the equation by the common factor (3) to simplify: x^2 - 4x + 3 = 0
Factor the quadratic equation: (x - 3)(x - 1) = 0 Set each factor to zero and solve for x:
x - 3 = 0 → x = 3 x - 1 = 0 → x = 1 Solutions: x = 3 and x = 1

7. Question: Simplify the following expression: (4x^3 - 8x^2 + 2x) + (3x^3 + 5x^2 -
x)

Solution: Combine like terms by adding the coefficients of the same degree: (4x^3 +
3x^3) + (-8x^2 + 5x^2) + (2x - x) Simplify each group: 7x^3 - 3x^2 + x Simplified
expression: 7x^3 - 3x^2 + x

8. Question: Solve the following system of equations: 2x - 3y = 7 4x + y = 1

Solution: Multiply the second equation by 3 to eliminate y: 3(4x + y) = 3 * 1 → 12x +

3y = 3 Add the two equations to eliminate y: 2x - 3y + 12x + 3y = 7 + 3 → 14x = 10
Divide by 14: x = 10 / 14 Simplify: x = 5 / 7 Substitute x into the second equation to
find y: 4(5 / 7) + y = 1 Simplify: 20 / 7 + y = 1 Subtract 20/7 from both sides: y = 1 -
20 / 7 Find the common denominator and solve for y: y = (7 - 20) / 7 = -13 / 7
Solutions: x = 5/7 and y = -13/7
9. Question: Simplify the following expression and state any restrictions on the
variable: (x^2 - 16) / (x + 4)

Solution: The expression can be simplified by factoring the numerator: (x^2 - 16) =
(x - 4)(x + 4) Cancel out the common factor in the numerator and denominator: (x -
4)(x + 4) / (x + 4) The restriction is that x ≠ -4 because division by zero is not allowed.
Simplified expression: x – 4

10. Question: Solve the following logarithmic equation for x: log2(x + 1) = 3

Solution: By definition of logarithm, rewrite the equation as: x + 1 = 2^3 Calculate

the result: x + 1 = 8 Subtract 1 from both sides: x = 8 - 1 Solution: x = 7

Here are some practice questions in algebra:

1. Practice Question: Solve the following linear equation for x: 3x + 5 = 11

2. Practice Question: Factor the following quadratic equation: x^2 + 6x + 9 = 0

3. Practice Question: Simplify the following expression: (2x^2 - 3x) + (3x^2 + 2x - 5)

4. Practice Question: Solve the following system of equations: 2x - y = 4 x + 3y = 10

5. Practice Question: Simplify the following expression and state any restrictions on the variable:
(x^2 - 25) / (x + 5)

6. Practice Question: Solve the following exponential equation for x: 2^(x - 1) = 8

7. Practice Question: Factor the following difference of squares: 16x^2 - 9

8. Practice Question: Solve the following system of equations with three variables: 2x + y - z = 5
x - 3y + 2z = 6 3x - y + 4z = 2

9. Practice Question: Simplify the following expression involving absolute values: |3x - 7| + |2x +
1|

10. Practice Question: Solve the following logarithmic equation for x: log(x + 2) = 2

Remember to practice these questions and similar ones to improve your algebra skills and
problem-solving abilities!

11. Practice Question: Solve the following quadratic equation for x: 2x^2 - 5x = 3
12. Practice Question: Factor the following quadratic equation: x^2 - 7x + 10 = 0

13. Practice Question: Simplify the following expression: (3x^2 + 2x) - (x^2 - 5x)

14. Practice Question: Solve the following system of equations: 3x - y = 7 x + 2y = 8

15. Practice Question: Simplify the following expression and state any restrictions on the
variable: (x^2 - 9) / (x - 3)

16. Practice Question: Solve the following exponential equation for x: 5^(x - 2) = 25

17. Practice Question: Factor the following perfect square trinomial: 9x^2 + 6x + 1

18. Practice Question: Solve the following system of equations with three variables: 2x + y + z =
10 x - y + 3z = 4 3x + 2y - z = 5

19. Practice Question: Simplify the following expression involving absolute values: |4x - 6| - |2x -
4|

20. Practice Question: Solve the following logarithmic equation for x: log(2x + 3) = 2

21. Practice Question: Simplify the following expression: (x + 2)(x - 3) + (x - 1)^2

22. Practice Question: Factor the following quadratic equation: 3x^2 + 12x + 12 = 0

23. Practice Question: Solve the following system of equations: 2x + 3y = 12 4x - 2y = 8

24. Practice Question: Simplify the following expression and state any restrictions on the
variable: (x^2 - 16) / (x - 4)

25. Practice Question: Solve the following exponential equation for x: 3^(x + 1) = 27

26. Practice Question: Factor the following perfect square trinomial: 25x^2 - 20x + 4

27. Practice Question: Solve the following system of equations with three variables: x - y + z = 2
2x + y - 3z = 7 3x - 2y + 4z = 11

28. Practice Question: Simplify the following expression involving absolute values: |2x - 5| + |3x
+ 1|

29. Practice Question: Solve the following logarithmic equation for x: log(x + 4) = 3

30. Practice Question: Simplify the following expression: (x^2 + 3x + 2) - (2x^2 - 5x + 1)

Answers
1. Answer: x = 4

2. Answer: (x - 2)(x - 5) = 0

3. Answer: 2x^2 - x - 5

4. Answer: x = 3, y = -1

5. Answer: x ≠ 3

6. Answer: x = 4

7. Answer: (4x - 3)^2

8. Answer: x = 1, y = 2, z = 3

9. Answer: |3x - 7| + |2x + 1| = 5x - 6

10. Answer: x = 100

11. Answer: x = -1, x = 3

12. Answer: (x - 5)(x - 2) = 0

13. Answer: 2x^2 + 7x

14. Answer: x = 2, y = 1

15. Answer: x ≠ 3

16. Answer: x = 4

17. Answer: (3x + 1)^2

18. Answer: x = 2, y = 1, z = 3

19. Answer: 2x - 2

20. Answer: x = 2

21. Answer: x^2 - 3x - 5

22. Answer: x^2 + 4x + 4 = (x + 2)^2

23. Answer: x = 2, y = 4

24. Answer: x ≠ 4

25. Answer: x = 2

26. Answer: (5x - 2)^2

27. Answer: x = 1, y = 2, z = 3

28. Answer: 5x - 4

29. Answer: x = 999

30. Answer: -x^2 + 8x + 1