Manipulating Algebraic Expressions

Q1. Write down an algebraic expression for each of the following statements
(a) Add 8 to a number 𝑘, multiply the sum by 5 and subtract (2𝑘 − 1) from the
result.
(b) The total amount Kate had initially if she has $4.20 left after buying 7 pencils at
𝑝 cents each.
(c) The profit that Ethan earns if he buys 𝑥 apples at (𝑦 + 3) cents each and sells
them at (2𝑦 − 5) cents each.
(d) The loss a wholesaler suffers after selling all the microchips if he buys 𝑛
microchips at $2𝑥 and sells all of them at $(𝑛 − 𝑥) each.

Q2. Given that 𝑎 = 4, 𝑚 = −2 and 𝑛 = −1, evaluate each of the following expressions.
(a) 4𝑚2 − 3𝑎 − 5𝑛
3
(b) 7𝑛 + 3 4 𝑎 − (𝑚 − 𝑎)

Q3. Given that 𝑎 = 2, 𝑐 = −1, 𝑑 = 5 and 𝑒 = −4, evaluate each of the following
expressions.
(a) 𝑎 − 𝑐 (𝑑 − 𝑒)
2𝑒−𝑎
(b) 𝑐 2−𝑑𝑒

1
Q4. Given that 𝑎 = 2, 𝑏 = −1, 𝑐 = 0 and 𝑑 = 2, evaluate each of the following

expressions.
(a) (2𝑎 − 𝑏)2
(b) (3𝑎 − 𝑏)(2𝑐 + 𝑑 )
(c) (5𝑎 − 𝑏)(2𝑐 + 𝑑) − 𝑏(𝑎𝑏 + 𝑏𝑐 − 4𝑐𝑑)

Q5. Find the value of (2𝑥 − 1)(2𝑥 + 1)(2𝑥 + 3) when 𝑥 = −3.

𝑥+1 2𝑥−1
Q6. Find the value of 𝑥−1 + 2𝑥+1 when 𝑥 = −2.
𝑥−5
Q7. Find the value of 𝑥+7 − 3𝑥 2 when 𝑥 = −2

Q8. Find the value of 𝑥 3 + 2𝑥𝑦 2 + 𝑦 3 when 𝑥 = 2 and 𝑦 = −1.

 3𝑎 2𝑏𝑐 𝑏𝑐
Q9. Find the value of 2𝑏−3𝑐 − when 𝑎 = −2, 𝑏 = 3 and 𝑐 = −5.
𝑎
𝑦3 1
Q10. Given that 5𝑥 = 𝑦 2 − , find the value of 𝑥 when 𝑦 = −3 and 𝑧 = −1 2.
𝑧
𝑥+5𝑦 1
Q11. Given that 5𝑥−7𝑦 = 4, find the value of 𝑥 when 𝑦 = −3.

Q12. Find the sum of each of the following sets of expressions.

(a) 𝑎 + 𝑏 + 𝑐, 2𝑏 − 𝑐, 3𝑐 + 𝑎
(b) 2𝑎𝑏 + 3𝑏𝑐, 5𝑎𝑐 − 5𝑏𝑎, 2𝑐𝑏 + 5𝑎𝑏
1 1 1 1
(c) 𝑥𝑦, 3 𝑥𝑦 2 − 4 𝑦𝑥, 6 𝑥𝑦 2 + 𝑥𝑦
2

(d) 𝑎2 + 𝑏2 − 𝑐 2 , 2𝑐 2 − 𝑏2 + 𝑎2 , 5𝑎2 + 7𝑐 2
(e) 5𝑎𝑏𝑐 − 7𝑐𝑏 + 4𝑎𝑐, 4𝑐𝑏𝑎 − 4𝑏𝑐 + 3𝑐𝑎

Q13. Simplify each of the following expressions.

(a) 7𝑥 − {3𝑥 − [4𝑥 − 2(𝑥 + 3𝑦)]}
(b) 8𝑎 − {2𝑎 − [3𝑐 − 6(𝑎 − 2𝑐 )]}
(c) 7𝑎2 − 4𝑎 − 5𝑎(𝑎 − 3) + 4(𝑎 − 5)
(d) 2𝑎 − 5(3𝑎𝑏 − 4𝑏) − 2(𝑎 − 2𝑏𝑎)
(e) 4(𝑥 − 5𝑦) − 5(2𝑦 − 3𝑥 ) − (2𝑥 − 5𝑦)
(f) 2(3𝑥 + 𝑦) − 5[3(𝑥 − 3𝑦) − 4(2𝑥 − 𝑦)]
1 2
(g) [14𝑥 − (9𝑥 − 21𝑦) − 2(𝑥 + 𝑦)]
2 3

Q14. Subtract
(a) 10𝑥 2 + 5𝑥 − 7 from 3𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 − 11
(b) 𝑎3 − 3𝑎2 − 5𝑎 + 5 from 4𝑎3 − 2𝑎 + 7
(c) 7𝑥 3 − 𝑥 2 + 3𝑥 + 3 from 4𝑥 3 + 2𝑥 2 − 5𝑥 − 1
(d) 2𝑎(3𝑎2 − 5𝑎) + 5 from 6𝑎(2 − 3𝑎 + 5𝑎2 ) − 4(𝑎2 + 5)

Q15. There are four consecutives even numbers and the second number is given by 𝑛.
(a) Express all the four numbers in terms of 𝑛.
(b) Find the sum of the four numbers in terms of 𝑛.
Q16. Figure 1 shows a rectangle 𝐴𝐵𝐶𝐷 where 𝐴𝐵 = 7𝑦 cm and 𝐴𝐷 = 3𝑥 cm. Figure 2
shows a triangle 𝐸𝐹𝐺 where 𝐸𝐹 = 7𝑦 cm, 𝐹𝐺 = 5𝑥 cm and 𝐸𝐺 = (𝑥 + 5𝑦)cm.
Which figure has a larger perimeter? Explain your answer.

Q17. A shopkeeper bought 120 apples at ℎ cents each and 180 oranges at 𝑘 cents
each. He packed them into bags which contained 2 apples and 3 oranges each
and sold each bag of fruits for (3ℎ + 4𝑘) cents. Write down, in terms of ℎ and 𝑘,
an expression for
(a) the amount of money he spent on the fruits,
(b) the total amount of money for which he sold all the bags of fruits,
(c) the amount he earned from selling all the fruits.

Q18. Shirley has 𝑛 coins which consist of 10 -cent, 20-cent and 50 -cent coins. There
are 𝑥10-cent coins, 3𝑥20-cent coins and the remaining coins are 50-cent coins.
Find
(a) the number of 50 -cent coins that Shirley has,
(b) the total value of all the coins if there are 4 times as many 10-cent coins as 50 -
cent coins,
(c) the total value of all the coins if there are five 20 -cent coins for every three 50 -
cent coins.

Q19. Express each of the following as a fraction in its simplest form.

3(𝑥−2) 2(𝑥+3)
(a) +
3 4
5(3𝑥+1) 7(5𝑥−3)
(b) −
4 12
2𝑥+1 4(𝑥−3)
(c) 1 + +
3 6
 3𝑥−4𝑦 𝑥−2𝑦 𝑥+𝑦
(d) + −
6 4 5
2𝑥−5 𝑥+4 3(5−𝑥)
(e) − +
3 6 9
4(3𝑥+4) 𝑥+7 2𝑥−1
(f) − −
10 15 5
3(𝑥+7) 4(2𝑥−1)
(g) −1 − −
7 5
3𝑥−7 𝑥−1
(h) − (𝑥 − 5) −
4 3
2(3𝑥−1) 2𝑥+1
(i) − (𝑥 − 3) −
5 3

Q20. Factories each of the following expressions completely.

(a) 𝑦(𝑥 + 3) + 2(𝑥 + 3)
(b) 3𝑥(𝑦 − 2) − 4(𝑦 − 2)
(c) 3𝑥(2𝑦 − 3) − 2(2𝑦 − 3)
(d) 2𝑥(3𝑥 − 𝑦) − 5(3𝑥 − 𝑦)
(e) 3𝑥(𝑝 + 5𝑞 ) − 5(5𝑞 + 𝑝)
(f) 4ℎ(3𝑝 + 2𝑞 ) − 8(2𝑞 + 3𝑝)
(g) 2ℎ(3𝑥 + 2) − 6𝑘(3𝑥 + 2)
(h) (𝑥 + 𝑦)(𝑝 − 2𝑞 ) + (𝑥 − 𝑦)(𝑝 − 2𝑞 )
(i) (3𝑥 − 𝑦)(3ℎ + 4𝑘) − (𝑥 − 𝑦)(3ℎ + 4𝑘)
(j) 5𝑥(3𝑝 + 2𝑞 − 𝑟) − 10𝑦(3𝑝 + 2𝑞 − 𝑟)