Name: ____________________________________ Date: __________________________

VARIABLES AND EXPRESSIONS

N-GEN MATH® ALGEBRA I
Algebra is the process of using the properties of numbers to manipulate unknown or changing quantities. These
quantities are known as variables and are represented using letters to distinguish them from normal numbers.
When we combine variables and/or numbers together using arithmetic operations, we get what are known as
expressions.
EXPRESSIONS
An expression is any combination of numbers and/or variables using addition, multiplication, subtraction,
division, and other operations (such as exponents).

Exercise #1: Review the order of operations by giving the value of each of the following purely numerical
expressions. Do these without a calculator in order to review basic middle school number concepts.
1
(a) 3  2  7 (b) 8   6  24  6 (c) 4  8  6   7  5  3
2

16
52  4 2  3  52
(d) (e) 22  36  64 (f) 2 3
1 5 2

Knowing the order of operations is essential. Once we move past expressions that contain only numbers to ones
that contain variables, you need to be able to “read” an expression to understand what is being done to the
variable.
Exercise #2: If the letter x represents some unknown quantity, explain the calculations/operations that each of
the following expressions represent. State both the operations and the order in which they occur.
x4
(a) 3x  8 (b) (c) 4 x 2  9
2

® N-GEN MATH® ALGEBRA I – UNIT 1 – BUILDING BLOCKS OF ALGEBRA – LESSON 1 ®

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If you can read an algebraic expression (i.e. one that contains variables), then you should also be able to evaluate
the expression. Evaluating an expression is one of the most important building blocks of algebra.

EVALUATING AN EXPRESSION
Finding the final value of an expression when all variable values are known.

Exercise #3: Find the value of each expression given. Show the steps you use to find your final answer. Only use
your calculator, if necessary, to check your final results. Simplify any fractional answers.
2
(a) 4 x  7 when x  5 (b) 25  n for n  12
3

1 2
(c) c 2  6c when c  4 (d) t  2t  9 for t  6
2

6
(e) 5 x  4 when x  8 (f) for y  2
y 4
3

Exercise #4: The amount of money, in dollars, a tour company earns on a tour can be calculated using the
expression 12  n  4  , where n is the number of people who go on the tour. How much money do they make when
14 people go on the tour?

® N-GEN MATH® ALGEBRA I – UNIT 1 – BUILDING BLOCKS OF ALGEBRA – LESSON 1 ®

eMATHinstruction, RED HOOK, NY 12571, © 2022
Name: ____________________________________ Date: __________________________
VARIABLES AND EXPRESSIONS
N-GEN MATH® ALGEBRA I HOMEWORK

FLUENCY
1. Using order of operations evaluate the following numerical expressions. Do not use a calculator for this
section.
1
(c)  5   3  5   8
2
(a) 5 10  3 (b) 6  16  21 3
4

2. Evaluate each of the following expressions for the value of the variable given. Show the substitution and steps
you used to find your final answer.
7
(a) 5  2n  1  8 when n  4 (b)  x  10 for x  6
3

6  x  1
(c) when x  2 (d) 200  16t 2 for t  3
x5

(e) 2w  3w  1 when w  8 (f) x 2  2 x  24 for x  4

® N-GEN MATH® ALGEBRA I – UNIT 1 – BUILDING BLOCKS OF ALGEBRA – LESSON 1 ®

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APPLICATIONS
3. Luis just got his first job and is saving 45 dollars a week. He also has 155 dollars saved from his birthday that
just passed. Luis came up with the following expression for the amount of his savings: 45w  155 , where w
is the number of weeks that he has been saving.

(a) According to this model, how much will Luis have saved after 6 weeks?

(b) After a month, Luis noticed he had more than what his model above predicted due to interest paid by the
w2
bank. Luis adjusted his expression to now be:  45w  155 . How much more will the second model
64
predict Luis to have saved in one year compared to the first model he came up with? Justify.

REASONING

4. Mei received a 95 on her last test and the only question she got wrong was the following.
(a) Read through the question and Mei’s work. Find (b) Explain what she did wrong and then show the
and circle her mistake. correct work and find the final answer.

Evaluate: x 2  2  x  3 when x  5 .

Mei’s work:

  5   2  5  3
2

 5  2  2
2

 25  2  2 

 23  2 

 46

® N-GEN MATH® ALGEBRA I – UNIT 1 – BUILDING BLOCKS OF ALGEBRA – LESSON 1 ®

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