Algebra – Definitions – Demonstration

This resource provides animated demonstrations of the mathematical method.

Check animations and delete slides not needed for your class.
 From Arabic
Al-jabr ‫ا لجبر‬
‘reunion of broken parts’

1st book: ‘The Science of

Restoring and Balancing’

al-Khwarizmi (800 AD)

Algebra can be traced back to
the Babylonian Empire around 1800 BC.
(4000 years ago!)

An ancient civilization around

modern-day Iraq

Mathematicians used algebra to solve real-life

equations for quantities,
to help with building (geometry),
& even plot the paths of planets (astronomy)!
Tammy has 3 bags of sweets & she eats 2 sweets.

How many sweets does Tammy have now?

How can we describe this using algebra?

3 𝑏 −2
 Tammy has 3 bags of sweets & she eats 2 sweets.

This expression describes how many sweets Tammy has now.

3 𝑏 −2
What do we call each part of the expression?
 Tammy has 3 bags of sweets & she eats 2 sweets.

This expression describes how many sweets Tammy has now.

variable 3 𝑏 −2
𝑏
This is a letter used instead of a number.
We don’t know what number it is & it can change!
(It varies).
 Tammy has 3 bags of sweets & she eats 2 sweets.

This expression describes how many sweets Tammy has now.

term 3 𝑏 −2 term

3𝑏 −2
This expression has two terms.
A term is any combination of letters & numbers that
combine to make an expression.
 Tammy has 3 bags of sweets & she eats 2 sweets.

This expression describes how many sweets Tammy has now.

coefficient 3 𝑏 −2
3
A coefficient is the number in front of a variable.
It tells us how many of that variable we have.
 Ram has 4 bags of sweets & he eats 5 sweets.

This expression describes how many sweets Ram has now.

4 𝑏−5
terms variables coefficients

4𝑏 𝑏 4
−5
 Macy has a bag of sweets & she eats 2 sweets.

This expression describes how many sweets Macy has now.

𝑏 −2
terms variables coefficients

𝑏 𝑏
In algebra we don’t write 1 if
−2 there is only one of a variable.
Cassie has a 2 boxes of sweets, 5 bags of sweets & she eats 4 sweets.

This expression describes how many sweets Cassie has now.

2 𝑥 +5 𝑏− 4
terms variables coefficients

2𝑥 𝑥 2
5𝑏 𝑏 5
−4
 Describe the parts of this expression.

5 𝑥 −3 − 2 𝑑

terms variables coefficients

5𝑥 𝑥 5
−3 𝑑 −2
−2𝑑
 Describe the parts of this expression.

4 −3 𝑡+6 𝑥 −0 . 1 𝑦

terms variables coefficients

4 𝑡 −3
−3𝑡 𝑥 6
6𝑥 𝑦 −0.1
−0.1𝑦
 Describe the parts of this expression.

5 𝑔2+4 𝑓 −6 − 2𝑒

terms variables coefficients

5𝑔2 𝑔 5
4𝑓 𝑓 4
−6 𝑒 −2
−2𝑒
 How can we describe these sentences using algebra?

Jay has a bag of sweets. He has… 𝑏 …sweets.

Greg has 2 bags of sweets. 2𝑏

Tammy has 3 bags of sweets then
she eats 2 sweets. 3 𝑏−2
These are all expressions.
we express the information using algebra.

Ken has 3 bags of sweets and eats 5 sweets,

he now has 55 sweets. 3 𝑏 −5=55
This is an equation,
we can solve it to find the value of .
𝑤𝑖𝑑𝑡h h𝑒𝑖𝑔h𝑡

𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡h
𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒
What is the area of these shapes?

We don’t know!
We must use a formula to calculate the area.

𝑏 ×h
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒=𝑙×𝑤 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒=
2

The variables in formulae can have any value.

4 cm 5 cm

6 cm
4 cm

We input values into formulae to find an answer.

1 ‘formula’, 2 ‘formulae’

𝑏 ×h
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒=𝑙×𝑤 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒=
2
 Tom & Tim love biscuits!

Tom has 3 packets of biscuits & Tim has 6 packets of biscuits &
he buys 2 more packets of biscuits. he eats a whole packet himself!

How can we express this with algebra?

How many biscuits are in a packet?

3 𝑝+2 𝑝 ≡ 6 𝑝− 𝑝
5𝑝 Tim & Tom have an equal amount of packets. 5𝑝
There might be 10 biscuits in a packet, 15, or 100!
The expressions are always equal.
An identity is true for all values of the variable(s).
 Identities

Identities are true for any value of the variables.

2 𝑎+𝑎≡3 𝑎
‘identical to’
‘equal to’

5 𝑏+6=𝑏+ 6+4 𝑏 2 ( 𝑥 +4 ) =2 𝑥 +8

( 𝑥+1 ) 2≡ 𝑥 2+2 𝑥 +1 𝑥 2 ( 2 𝑥 − 3 ) ≡2 𝑥 3 − 3 𝑥 2
 These are not identities.
The two sides are not equal for all values.

How can we change one side to make them into identities?

2 𝑎=𝑎 𝑥+7=7

2 𝑦 +8= 𝑦+ 4 3( 𝑔+h)=6 𝑔+5 h

4 𝑡 2=2𝑡 ( 𝑥+2 ) 2=𝑥 2+2 𝑥 +4

 These are not identities.
The two sides are not equal for all values.

How can we change one side to make them into identities?

2 𝑎=𝑎 𝑥+7=7
(+𝑎) (+𝑥 )

2 𝑦 +8= 𝑦+ 4 3( 𝑔+h)=6 𝑔+5 h

(×2) (+3 𝑔+2 h)
4 𝑡 2=2𝑡 ( 𝑥+2 ) 2=𝑥 2+2 𝑥 +4
(𝑠𝑞) (+2 𝑥)
 A letter to represent a value.
Variable
The value can change. 2 𝑥 +5

Coefficient The quantity of a variable. 2 𝑥 +5

The separate parts of expressions,
Term
equations, formulae & identities. 2 𝑥 +5

Expression Any combination of letters & numbers. 2 𝑥 +5

Two equal expressions.
Equation
They can be solved to find the value of variables. 2 𝑥 +5=8

Two equal expressions. 𝑏 ×h

Formula 𝐴=
Values are substituted to evaluate one variable. 2

An equation that is true for

Identity
any value of the variables. 𝑥+ 𝑥+5 ≡ 2 𝑥+ 5
In algebra, what do we call this?

6 𝑥+5 𝑦=15

term
In algebra, what do we call this?

8 𝑑+4 𝑑 ≡12 𝑑

identity
 In algebra, what do we call this?

5 𝑥+4 𝑦 =2 𝑑 +3 𝑎

variable
In algebra, what do we call this?

16=5 𝑦 +6

coefficient
In algebra, what do we call this?

1
𝐴= 𝑏 h
2

formula
 In algebra, what do we call this?

5 𝑡+4 𝑒=3 − 3 𝑥

expression
In algebra, what do we call this?

3 𝑥+ 4=22

equation
 In algebra, what do we call this?

5 𝑒=2 −6 𝑥 +8 𝑒

expression
In algebra, what do we call this?

5 −3 𝑒=6 𝑒

variable
In algebra, what do we call this?

4 𝑎+6 𝑑=𝑥

formula
In algebra, what do we call this?

1
𝑎+17=22
2

coefficient
In algebra, what do we call this?

5𝑎
9= +7
2

equation
 In algebra, what do we call this?

15 𝑑 +8 𝑐 − 2=4 𝑐 −2+ 4 𝑐 +15 𝑑

identity
 In algebra, what do we call this?

6 𝑔 +7 h=2 𝑡 −5

term
 Questions?
Comments?
Suggestions?

…or have you found a mistake!?

Any feedback would be appreciated .

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tom@goteachmaths.co.uk