Algebra/Chapter 2/Formulas

2.10: Formulas

Formulas

A formula is a mathematical rule that is written in mathematical symbols.

Independent and Dependent Variables

Word Problems

Word Problems are mathematical problems that are delivered in ordinary words, instead of mathematical symbols. Part of the problem with dealing with word problems that they first need to be translated into mathematical equations, and then the equations need to be solved.

Working with Word Equations

Math is a kind of language, with its own "grammar"; to become "fluent" in math, you must understand its grammar. Some of the "grammatic" terms used in Math include:

Addition
(think positive!)
  • "in addition to"
  • "plus"
  • "added to"
  • "more than"
  • "and"
Subtraction
(always negative)
  • "less than"
  • "take away"
  • "minus"
Multiplication
  • "times"
  • "by"
  • "each"
Division
  • "divided by"
  • "per"
  • "out of"
Equals
  • "is"
  • "is equal to"
  • "is equivalent"
  • "their values are equal to each other"
  • almost anything with the words "equal" or "same"

This is not a definitive listing. While problems found in text books usually include these phrasings, you may encounter one where such words are implicit.

Steps To Solving Word Problems

The majority of word problems in algebra can be rewritten as equations, which you can then solve. There are some steps to take as you analyze a word problem.

  1. Read Carefully
  2. Define A Variable (What You Are Looking For)
  3. Make A Plan
  4. Write An Equation
  5. Solve
  6. Is This Answer Reasonable?

These six steps may seem either obvious, but serve as the foundation to solving word problems.

This article is issued from Wikibooks. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.