ORDER OF OPERATIONS

Some expressions have more than one operation. The value of the expression depends on
the order in which the operations are evaluated.
Example: What is the value of 12 ∙ 5 + 7 ?
Solution: Method I Method II
12 ∙ 5 + 7 = 60 + 7 12 ∙ 5 + 7 = 12 ∙ 12
= 67 = 144
To find the correct value of the expression, follow the order of operations.
1. Find the values of the expressions inside grouping symbols, such as parentheses (),
brackets [ ], and braces { }.
2. Do all exponentiations.
2. Do all multiplications and/or divisions from left to right.
3. Do all additions and/or subtractions from left to right.
 Exercises
1. 8 ∙ 5 + 8 ∙ 4
2. 15 ÷ 3 ∙ 4 – 2
3. 6 + 12
5(3) – 13

4. 50 + 25(2 + 3)

5. 48 ÷ [2(3 + 1)]

6. 25 – 1 (18 – 9)
3
TRANSLATING FROM ENGLISH
TO ALGEBRA
 WORDS INTO SYMBOLS : EXPRESSIONS
Objective: To represent numerical relationships stated in words by
mathematical expressions.

Not all problems that we encounter are written mathematically. Most of

the time, these problems are written in phrases or sentences. To be able to
use the concepts in algebra in solving these problems, we must be able to
translate these phrases or sentences to algebraic expressions.
To solve problems using algebra, we must often translate word phrases
about numbers into numerical or variable expressions.
Suppose you think of two numbers, one is nine more than the other. If x
stands for the smaller number, then the greater number is represented by x
+ 9.
Examples: (the variable x represents the number being referred to)
English Phrase Algebraic Expression
Addition
the sum of a number and 3 x+3
5 more than a number x+5
a number increased by 21 x + 21
10 added to 1 number x + 10
a number plus 11 x + 11
Subtraction
81 minus a number 81 – x
8 less a number 8 – x
19 less than a number x – 19
a number subtracted from 31 31 – x
the difference of 5 and a number 5–x
a number decreased by 40 x – 40

Multiplication
6 times a number 6x
the product of 28 and a number 28x
one-half of a number ½ x or x/2
twice a number 2x
multiply a number by –20 –20x
Division
the quotient of 3 and a number 3/x
the quotient of a number and 3 x/3
a number divided by 7 x/7
the ratio of a number and 25 x/25
Mixture Operations
11 more than the product of 8 and a number 8x + 11
5 times the difference of a number and 6 5(x – 6)
13 more than the quotient of a number and 8 x/8 + 13
one-third of a number increased by 9 x/3 + 9
93 times the sum of 8 times a number and 6 93(8x + 6)
Note: Some statements may not contain the key words sum, difference,
product, or quotient. Instead, a situation is described.

Example
1. Mar has x pieces of 100 peso bills. How much money does he have?

Answer: P100x

2. Ben is x years old. How old will he be after 15 years from now?
Answer: x + 15 years old
ORAL EXERCISES: A. Represent each word phrase by a variable expression.
1. Twelve more than a number
2. Ten less than a number
3. Ten times a number
4. One-tenth of a number
5. Ten divided by a number
6. Dan’s age two years ago
7. Dan’s age five years from now
8. Dan’s father’s age, if he is three times as old as Jan.
9. Dan’s cousin’s age if he is half as old as Dan
10. Mel’s age, if the sum of Dan’s and Mel’s ages is 29.
ORAL EXERCISES: Represent each word phrase by a variable expression.
11. Eight times a number
12. Five greater than a number
13. The number decreased by four
14. Nine less than half a number
15. The product of three and a number
16. One fourth of a number
17. The number divided by five
18. Nine more than twice the number
19. Four less than half a number
20. Seven decreased by three times a number
ORAL EXERCISES:
B. Represent each word phrase by a variable expression.
(Use grouping symbol if necessary.)

21. Twice the sum of the number and three

22. The product of five and two more than a number
23. Five times the difference of three times a number and one
24. Six times the difference of a number and five
25. one-half the difference of a number and four
WRITTEN EXERCISES:
A. Complete each statement with a variable expression.
1. A rectangle has width 6 units and length (x + 2) units. Its area is ____.
2. You travel for (t – 2) hours at 75 km/h. You travel _____km.
3. You buy (m + 5) rolls of Php 40.00 each. The cost is Php_____.
4. Chen earns (p + 3) pesos per hour. In 8 hours, she earns _____ pesos.
5. Jim is n years old. Four years ago he was _____ years old.
6. The Science Museum was d years old 15 years ago. It is now _____
years old.
7. Nine years from now Jo will be r years old. She is now _____ years old.
WRITTEN EXERCISES:
B. Represent the required numbers in terms of the given variables.
1. What number is two more than a number d?
2. What number is one less than half the number b?
3. What number is six less than one third of the number y?
4. What number is three more than eight times the number g?
5. The sum of two numbers is eighteen. One number is w. What is the
other number?
6. The sum of two numbers is thirty. One number is x. What is the other
number?
7. Fred is t cm tall. Joe is 6 cm shorter than Fred. Joe is _____ cm tall.
 WORDS INTO SYMBOLS : EQUATIONS
Objective: To translate word sentences describing
the equality of numbers into equations.
 NUMBER PROBLEMS
1. If 15 is subtracted from three times a certain number the result is 27.
Find the number.
Solution: Let x be the number
3x – 15 = 27
3x = 27 + 15
3x = 42
3 3
x = 14
2. The difference of two numbers is 67. The larger number is 3 less than 6
times the smaller number. Find the two numbers.

Solution: Let x be the smaller number

(6x – 3) – x = 67
5x = 70
x1 = 14 x2 = 81
3. Find three consecutive integers whose sum is 42.
x + (x +1) + (x + 2) = 42
3x = 39
x1 = 13 x2 = 14 x3 = 15
4. Find three consecutive odd integers such that three times the second
minus the third is 11 more than the first.
(x, x + 2, x + 4)
3(x + 2) – (x + 4) = x + 11
3x + 6 – x – 4 = x + 11
x=9
x1 = 9 x2 = 11 x3 = 13
5. Cindy had scores 95, 82, 93, and 84 on her first four exams of the
quarter. What score must she obtain on the fifth exam to have an average
of 90 for the 5 exams?
90 = 95 + 82 + 93 + 84 + x
5
450 = 354 + x
96 = x
 GEOMETRY PROBLEMS

Many geometric problems involve the perimeters and areas of geometric

figures.
Perimeter Area
Rectangle 2(l + w) lw
Square 4s s22
Triangle a+b+c bh
2
1. A 130-m length of fence is used to enclose a rectangular parking lot.
The length of the garden is 5 m more than its width. Find the length and
the width of the parking lot.
130 = 2[(x + 5) + x]
130 = 2[2x + 5]
130 = 4x + 10
120 = 4x
30 = x

∴ width = 30 m ; length = 35
2. The supplement of an angle measures 25o more than twice its
complement. Find the measure of the angle.
x = m of unknown angle; 90 – x m of its complement;
180 – x m of its supplement

supplement = 2(complement) + 25
180 – x = 2[(90 – x)] + 25
180 – x = 180 – 2x + 25
x = 25
2. If the first of two numbers is added to 36, the sum is 5 times the second
number; however, if the second number is subtracted from 36, the result is 7
times the first number. Find the numbers.
x + 36 = 5y
36 – y = 7x
x – 5y = –36
–7x – y = –36
7x – 35y = –252
–7x – y = –36
–36y = –288
y = 8 - 2nd number
x = 4 - 1st number
3. The ten’s digit of a two-digit positive integer is two more than three
times the unit’s digit. If the digits are interchanged, the new number is
thirteen less than half the given number. Find the original integer.
(substitution/elimination method)
10x + y = original integer x = 3y + 2
10y + x = new number ½ (10x + y) – 13
10y + x = ½ (10x + y) – 13 20y + 2x = 10x + y – 26
–8x + 19y = –26
–8(3y + 2) + 19y = –26
– 24y – 16 + 19y = –26
–5y = –10
y = 2; x = 8
4. The sum of two numbers is 2. If one of the numbers is multiplied by 3
and the other is multiplied by 2, the sum of the products is 11. Find the
numbers.
x+y=2 3x + 2y = 11

(7, –5)
ORAL EXERCISES:
State an equation for each sentences.
1. The difference of a number y and nine is fifty-four.
2. Five is eight more than twice the number n.
3. One half of the number b is ten less than three times b.
4. Twelve more than the number x is 37.
5. Eight is five less than twice the number y.
6. Forty decreased by a number m is 24.5
7. The number c decreased by two thirds is eight and one third.
8. The sum of one third of the number s and twelve is twenty three.
9. The product of fifty-eight and the number t is 1.
WRITTEN EXERCISES:
Use the given facts to write an equation, then solve.
1. Chloe is b years old. Sarah is two years younger. The sum of their ages is
34. How old is each girl?
2. Jill is half as old as her brother, who is k years old. The sum of their ages
is thirty two. How old is each of them?
3. Team A scored one point less than twice team B’s score. Team B scored x
points. The total score of the two teams is 140 points. What are the
scores of each team?
4. Fred is four years older than Jam, who is t years old. The sum of their
ages is 28. How old are they?