Lesson 2-1

Writing and Interpreting Equations

Today’s Goals
● Translate sentences
Explore  Writing Equations by Modeling a into equations.

Real-World Situation ● Translate equations into

sentences.

 nline Activity Use a real-world situation to complete

O Today’s Vocabulary
the Explore. equation
constraint
 INQUIRY What steps can you use to write
equations to represent a real-world
situation?

Learn  Writing Equations

A mathematical statement that contains two expressions and an equal
Think About It!
sign, =, is an equation.
What distinguishes an
Key Concept • Writing Equations expression from an
Step 1 Identify each unknown and assign a variable to it. equation?
Step 2 Identify the givens and their relationships.
Step 3 Write the sentence as an equation. Sample answer: An
equation contains an
equal sign; an
Example 1  Write an Equation for a Sentence expression does not.
Write an equation for the sentence.
Twenty minus the quotient of 7 and x is the same as twice x.
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Recall that a quotient is the result of division.

Twenty minus the quotient of 7 and x is the same as twice x.

_ 7
20 - ​​  x ​​ = 2x
__7 Study Tip
The equation is 20 - ​​  x ​​ = 2x .
Verbal Phrases When
writing the verbal form
Check  of an equation, is and
equals can be used
Write an equation for the sentence.
interchangeably.
Four times a number less 10 is equal to 16.  A

A. 4x - 10 = 16 B. 4(x - 10) = 16

C. 10 - 4x = 16 D. 4x + 10 = 16

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Lesson 2-1 • Writing and Interpreting Equations 65

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 Your Notes Example 2  Write an Equation
LIFE ONLINE Of 799 teens surveyed Social Teens Mostly
about what they do online, some use a Kind Online
social network. Of those on a social
network, 430 say people their age are
“mostly kind” online and the remaining
193 do not. Write an equation to find Not
the number of teens surveyed who are “Mostly Kind”
not on a social network. 193

Step 1 Identify each unknown and “Mostly Kind”

Think About It!
Is there only one
equation that represents
the situation? Justify
your argument.
Step 2 Identify the givens and their relationship.
No; sample answer:
Many equations can
represent the same
situation. For example,
799 = n + (193 + 430)
also represents this
situation.
430
assign a variable to it.
Let n = the number of teens
surveyed who are not on a
social network.
The givens are:
• 799 teens were surveyed.
• Some number of the teens use a social network.
•  430 of those on a social network say people their age
are “mostly kind” online. The other 193 do not.
The 430 and 193 make up the group on a social network. The
rest of the 799 surveyed are not on a social network.

Step 3 Write the sentence as an equation.

The sum of the teens on a social network and those not on a
social network is 799.
(430 + 193) + n = 799

Check 

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READING Etu has read 12 of the 32 chapters in his assigned book. He
plans to finish the book by reading c chapters each for 8 days until the
book is due. Which equation best represents the situation?  C
A. 12 - 8c = 32
c
B. 12 + __
​​  8 ​​ = 32
C. 12 + 8c = 32
c
D. 12 - __
​​  8 ​​ = 32

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66 Module 2 • Equations in One Variable

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 Example 3  Write an Equation with Multiple Variables
GEOMETRY Translate the sentence into a formula.
Think About It!
The perimeter of a rectangle is twice the sum of the length and
Why is it helpful to
the width.
identify all the
Step 1 Identify unknowns. unknowns before
perimeter, the length, and the width writing an equation?

Step 2 Assign variables. Sample answer:

Let P = perimeter, ℓ = length , and w = width . Identifying the
unknowns allows you
Step 3 Identify the givens and their relationships. to assign variables and
Twice means two times . begin to identify the
Twice the sum means you add first, then multiply  . relationships between
the unknowns.
Step 4 Write an equation.
The formula for the perimeter of a rectangle is P = 2(ℓ + w) .

Check 
Translate the sentence into a formula.
MOTORS The horsepower of a motor is the product of the motor speed
and the torque divided by 5252. B
M MT
A. H = ​​ _____
    
5252T H = ​​ ____
​​ B. ​​
5252   

5252 5252M
C. H = ____
​​  MT   
​​
  H = ​​ _____
D. ​​
T   
 

Talk About It!

BAGELS Plain and cinnamon raisin bagels are the most popular flavors.
What is an example of
Each year, 24 million more than twice as many packages of plain a real-life constraint?
bagels are sold as cinnamon raisin. There were 136 million packages of Explain.
plain bagels sold last year. Create an equation that can be used to find
the number of millions of packages of cinnamon raisin bagels, c, sold
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Sample answer: If you

last year. are finding the cost of
136 = 2c + 24 OR 136 = 24 + 2c OR 2c + 24 = 136 OR 24 + 2c = 136 an item, it must be
greater than or equal
to $0 because you
Learn  Interpreting Equations cannot have a negative
amount of money.
Look for the relationships in an equation by interpreting each part of
the expressions in the equation.
As you interpret an equation that represents a real-life situation,
consider that the equation may be viewed as a constraint in the
situation. In mathematics, a constraint is a condition that a solution
must satisfy. These conditions limit the number of possible solutions.
The solutions of the equation meet the constraints of the problem.

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Watch Out!
Parentheses When
writing a sentence for
an equation with
parentheses, the phrase
the quantity should be
written immediately
before the terms that
are contained in the
parentheses, not at the
beginning of the
sentence.
Go Online
An alternate method
is available for this
example.
68 Module 2 • Equations in One Variable
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Example 4  Write a Sentence for an Equation
Write a sentence for the equation.
2z - 1 = 5
Sample answer: Two z minus one equals five.
Check 
Write a sentence for the equation.
a. 6z - 15 = 45  A
A. Six times a number z, minus fifteen equals forty-five.
B. Six times the quantity of a number z minus fifteen equals forty-five.
C. Six times the difference of a number z and fifteen equals forty-five.
D. Six plus z minus fifteen equals forty-five.
b. ( y + 3)² = 25  C
A. y plus 3 squared is 25.
B. y squared plus 3 is 25.
C. The quantity y plus 3 squared is 25.
D. y plus 3 is 25.
Example 5  Write a Sentence for an Equation with
Grouping Symbols
Write a sentence for the equation.
3(y + 1) = 12
The parentheses tell us that 3 is three times the expression in the
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parentheses.
The parentheses can be written as the quantity.
Write y + 1 as y plus 1 or the sum of y and one.
Write = 12 as equals twelve or is twelve.
One of the sentences that represents the equation 3(y + 1) = 12 is:
Three times the quantity y plus one equals twelve.
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 Check 
Select the sentence(s) that represent(s) the equation.  A, C, E
7(p + 23) = 102
A. Seven times the sum of p and twenty-three is the same as one
hundred two.
B. Seven times p plus twenty-three equals one hundred two.
C. Seven times the quantity p plus twenty-three equals one
hundred two.
D. The quantity seven times p plus twenty-three is the same as one
hundred two.
E. Seven times the sum of p and twenty-three is one hundred two.

Example 6  Interpret an Equation

GEOMETRY Write a sentence for the formula Think About It!
for the surface area of a rectangular prism h What did you already
S = 2ℓw + 2ℓh + 2wh. Then interpret the know that helped you
equation in the context of the situation. w interpret the formula?

From the equation, we see that the surface area
of a rectangular prism depends on the length, Sample answer: the
width, and height. shape of a rectangular
S= 2wh
prism, the formula for
2ℓw + 2ℓh +
the area of a rectangle
Surface area two times Two times two times
equals length times length times width times
width plus height plus height Go Online
You can watch a video
• The first term, 2ℓw, is two times the area of a rectangle . In the to see how to use
prism above, the area of the bottom face is ℓw . The top is algebra tiles with this
the same shape, so it has the same area. This term represents example.
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the sum of the areas of the bottom and top faces.

• The second term, 2ℓh, is the sum of the areas of the front and
back faces.
• The third term, 2wh, is the sum of the areas of the left and
right faces.
So, the surface area of the rectangular prism is the sum of the areas of
the faces .

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Lesson 2-1 • Writing and Interpreting Equations 69

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 Check 
r
FINANCE The formula for a loan balance is b = p ( ​  12  ​)​​ - d if the
​​ 1 + __
previous balance is p, the annual interest rate is r, and a payment
of d is made.

Part A Write a sentence for the formula. A

A. The balance equals the previous balance multiplied by the quantity

one plus the annual interest rate divided by 12 minus the payment.
B. The balance equals the previous balance multiplied by the annual
interest rate divided by 12 minus the payment.
C. The balance equals the previous balance multiplied by the sum of
one and the annual interest rate minus the payment.
D. The balance equals the previous balance minus the payment.

Part B Select each sentence that is a correct interpretation of the

equation in the context of the situation. Select all that apply.
A, B, E
r
A. The expression __
​​  12  ​​represents the monthly interest rate.
r
B. The expression p​​(1 + __
​  12  ​)​​represents the previous balance plus
interest.
C. If no payments are made, then d = 0 and the balance is the same
as the previous balance.
r
D. The expression ( ​  12  ​)​​represents the monthly interest rate.
​​ 1 + __
E. If no payment is made, then d = 0 and the balance is the previous
balance plus interest.

Pause and Reflect

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Did you struggle with anything in this lesson? If so, how did you
deal with it?

Record your See students’ observations.

observations
here.

Go Online You can complete an Extra Example online.

70 Module 2 • Equations in One Variable

THIS MATERIAL IS PROVIDED FOR INDIVIDUAL EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND MAY NOT BE DOWNLOADED OR FURTHER DISTRIBUTED.