KS3/GCSE :: Changing The Subject 1

– Subject Appears Once

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Motivation

For example, if the temperature was

100F, the temperature in Celsius
would be:
The formula to calculate a
temperature in Fahrenheit if
i.e. very hot! ?
we have the temperature in
Celsius:

5 9
𝐶= ( 𝐹 −32 ) 𝐹 =32+ 𝐶
9 5
How could we find a new formula that allows us to We say that is the ‘subject of
determine the temperature in Celsius given the the formula’ because it appears
on one side of the equation
temperature in Fahrenheit? (usually the left) on its own.
We will learn such skills.
RECAP :: Solving equations
Recall that with equations, what we do to one
side we must do the same to the other.
We undo the last thing done to by
doing the opposite. was multiplied
by 3 then 5 was subtracted. So we
undo the last thing (“subtract 5”) by
doing the opposite: adding 5.

3 𝑛 −5=13
?
+5 ?
+5

3 𝑛=18 ?

?3 ?
3

𝑛= 6 ?
Skill #1: Working Backwards
We can use the same technique to ! At each step, ‘undo’ the last thing
make a variable the subject. done to the subject.

Make the subject of This means to get on its own on one

side of the equation.

𝑦 = 𝑥+ 𝑎
(− 𝑎) (− 𝑎)

𝑦 − 𝑎= 𝑥 is now on its own on one side of the

equation. You may want to put the
subject on the left-hand-side,
i.e. , but this is not necessary.
Skill #1: Working Backwards
Reminder: At each step, ‘undo’ the
last thing done to the subject.

Make the subject of

𝑦 =𝑥 −3
(+3 ) (+3 )

𝑦 + 3= 𝑥
Test Your Understanding So Far

1 2
Make the subject of Make the subject of

𝑥=𝑎?− 2 ? 3𝑎
𝑥=3 𝑏+
3 Make the subject of

𝑥=𝑐 ?− 𝑏
Skill #1: Working Backwards
Reminder: At each step, ‘undo’ the
last thing done to the subject.

Make the subject of is being multiplied by . What’s the

opposite of multiplying by , so we
can get rid of it?

𝑦 =𝑏𝑥
(÷ 𝑏) (÷ 𝑏)

𝑦
=𝑥
Write as a fraction, not as .

𝑏
Skill #1: Working Backwards
Reminder: At each step, ‘undo’ the
last thing done to the subject.

Make the subject of is being divided by 4. What’s the

opposite of dividing by 4, so we can
get rid of it?
𝑥
𝑦=
4
(× 4) (× 4)

4 𝑦 =𝑥
Further Test Your Understanding

1 2
Make the subject of Make the subject of

3 ?
𝑥=6? 𝑦 =𝑥
𝑎
3 Make the subject of

𝑥=5𝑎×2𝑐
?
Exercise 1 – Single Operation
1 Make the subject of the following:
a ?
b ?
c ?
d ?
e ?
f ?
g ?
h ?
i ?
2 Make the subject of the following:
a ?
b ?
c ?
d ?
e ?
f ?
g ?
(see provided worksheet)
3 Make the subject of the following:
a ?
b ?
c ?
d ?
e ?
f ?
g ?
h ?
i ?
Make the subject of the following:
4
a ?
b ?
c ?
d ?
Multiple Operations
So far you would have only had to make one operation in Remember that we ‘undo’ the
order to make a variable the subject (). last thing done to the subject at
We will now look at equations where more than one step each step.
is required, as well as considering powers and roots.

was multiplied by 3, and then was

Make the subject of subtracted from it. The ‘last thing
done’ to was the , so what is the
opposite that would undo the ?

3𝑥 −
(+𝑎 )
𝑎=𝑏
(+𝑎 )

3 𝑥=𝑏+(÷ 3 )
𝑎 was multiplied by 3, so how
do we get rid of the ?
(÷ 3 )

𝑏+𝑎
𝑥=
3
Further Example
Remember that we ‘undo’ the last thing done to the subject at each step.

Make the subject of 𝑎𝑥 +𝑏

4=
was multiplied by a, then was
𝑐
added, and then it was divided (× 𝑐 ) (× 𝑐 )

4 𝑐=𝑎𝑥(−
+𝑏)𝑏
by . We want to undo the last
thing, the .

(− 𝑏)

4 𝑐 − 𝑏=𝑎𝑥(÷ 𝑎)
(÷ 𝑎)
4 𝑐 −𝑏
𝑥=
𝑎
Test Your Understanding So Far

1 2
Make the subject of Make the subject of

𝑎+
? 4 3 𝑏+3
? 𝑎
𝑥= 𝑥=
3 2
3 Make the subject of

or
?
Skill #2: Powers and roots

Make the subject of Make the subject of

was first
2 squared, then 4
𝑎= 𝑥 +4 was added. So
undo the +4 first. 𝑎=𝑏 √ 𝑥
(− 4) (− 4)
How do we undo (÷ 𝑏) (÷ 𝑏)
2
𝑎 − 4= 𝑥 the ‘squared’?
𝑎
=√ 𝑥
What is the How do we undo
√□ √□ opposite of
‘squared’? 𝑏 the square root?
What is the

√ 𝑎 − 4= 𝑥
opposite of
□2 □2 square rooting?

( )
2
𝑎
=𝑥
𝑏 Notice the brackets.
We want the whole
Technically we should write: fraction to be
squared, whereas
where the means “plus or minus”. looks like we’re only
Imagine solving . Both 3 is a solution () and -3 is a squaring the .
solution (), so
Test Your Understanding

1 2 Make the subject of

Make the subject of

3
? 2
𝑥 =𝑚

Make the subject of

𝑥= ?
𝑏
𝑎 √
( )
2
𝑏−𝑎
𝑥= ?
3
Exercise 2 – Multiple Operations & Powers/Roots (see provided worksheet)

1 Make the subject of the following: 3 Make the subject of the following:
a ? a ?
b ? b ?
c ? c ?
d ? d ?
e ? e ?
f ? f ?
g ?
Make the subject of the following: g ?
h ? h ?
2
a or ?
b ?
c ?
d ?
e ?
f ?
g ?
Skill #3: Dealing with brackets

Make the subject of Make the subject of

Method 1: Expanding first

𝑦=𝑎𝑥+𝑎𝑏
Method 2: Undoing the last operation Method 2: Undoing the last operation
To , was added,
1
𝑦=𝑎 ( 𝑥+𝑏) 𝑦= ( 𝑥−3 )
then multiplied
by . So we undo We can double both sides of

2
the first by the equation to get rid of the
on front of the brackets.

The last line of each

method looks
different, but is
equivalent to
Exercise 3 – Mixed Exercise So Far
In each case make the subject of the formula. (Please copy out question first)

1 ?
11 ?
2 ?
3 ? 12 ?
4 ?
13 ?
5 ?
6 ? 14

7 ? ?
N
8 ?
?
9 ? N
1
0 ? ?
Skill #4: Dealing with a subtracted subject
When the subject is before the subtraction, it’s easy to ‘release’.

𝑦 =2 𝒙 −3 2 𝒙=𝑦 +? 3
However, it’s a tiny bit harder if the subject () is in the term being
subtracted.
We like the subject to be within a positive
term, so when the subject is inside a
negative term, just add it to both sides.

𝑦 =3 − 𝑥
(+ 𝑥) (+ 𝑥)

𝑦 + 𝑥= 3
(− 𝑦) (− 𝑦)

𝑥=3 − 𝑦
Further Example
Make the subject of the formula.

3 𝑎=𝑏− 2 𝑥
(+2 𝑥) (+2 𝑥)
?
3 𝑎 +2 𝑥 =𝑏
(−3 𝑎) (−3 𝑎)
?
2 𝑥=𝑏 −3 𝑎
(÷ 2) (÷ 2)

𝑏−
? 3𝑎
𝑥=
2
Test Your Understanding So Far

𝑎−𝑥=𝑏 1−𝑏𝑥=𝑐
1 2

?
?

𝑎𝑏−𝑐 √𝑥=𝑦+1
3

?
 The ‘Swapsie Trick’

Can you ‘swap’ two of the numbers in the

𝟖 −𝟔=𝟐
subtraction so that the subtraction is still correct?
𝟖 −𝟐=𝟔
This means we can swap the term we’re
subtracting and the result of the subtraction.

Examples:

The ‘swapsie trick’ is useful whenever

?
the subject is in a term being subtracted.
It allows us to do two steps in one and
?
be more algebraically versatile/diligent
with more difficult questions.
 Exercise 4
In each case make the subject of the formula. (Please copy out question first)

1 ? 14 ?
2 ?
3 ? 15
4 ?
?
5
?
16 ?
6 ? 17 ?
7 ?
8 ? N
9 ? ?
10 ?
N
11 ?
12
? ?
13 ?
Skill #5: Subject trapped in a denominator
When the subject is in the numerator of a fraction, it’s easy to ‘release’ the subject
from the fraction.
𝑥
𝑦=
𝑞 𝑥=𝑞𝑦
?

But it’s a bit harder if the subject is in the denominator…

𝑞
𝑦= In general, whenever you have a fraction in
𝑥 +1 an equation, your instinct should be to
multiply both sides by the denominator.
× ( 𝑥+ 1 ) × ( 𝑥+ 1 )
?
𝑦 ( 𝑥+1 )=𝑞
÷ 𝑦 ÷𝑦
? 𝑞
𝑥 +1 =
𝑦
−1 −1
?𝑞
𝑥= −1
Skill #5: Subject trapped in a denominator
! Isolate the fraction on one side of the equation, then multiply by denominator.

𝑎=
𝑏 −𝑐 2
𝑎
+𝑏=𝑐
We should
subtract the first

𝑥
because that was
?
𝑥
the ‘last thing

? done to ’.

3
𝑐
𝑎=𝑏−
?
𝑥
 The ‘Division Swapsie Trick’
𝟖 𝟖
Can you ‘swap’ two of the numbers in this division =𝟐 =𝟒
so that the subtraction is still correct? 𝟒 𝟐
This means we can swap the term we’re
dividing by and the result of the division on You could think of the division like a
the other side of the equation. speed-distance-time triangle. and

𝟖
Examples: 𝟒 𝟐
Make the subject:

2
𝑏
𝑎−𝑏 2
𝑦
E1 E2 E3

𝑎=
? 𝑥 =𝑐 𝑦= −2
+2 first as
was last
thing

𝑥+1?
𝑥+𝑦
?
done to

The ‘division swapsie trick’ is useful

whenever the subject is in a
denominator.
Test Your Understanding
Make the subject:

1
𝑦 2

3= +𝑎
𝑥
u b le
Do sie!
? ? swa
p
Skill #6: ‘Cross multiplying’
If you have just a fraction on each side of the equation, you can ‘cross
multiply’.

𝑎 𝑐
𝑏
¿ 𝑑
Click for
Fromanimation

Examples:
Make the subject:
E2
E1

? ?
Exercise 5
In each case make the subject of the formula. (Please copy out question first)

1 ? 11 ?
2 ? 12 ?
3 ?
13
4 ?
?
5 ?
6
? 14 ?

7 ? N ?

8 ? N

9 ? ?