REARRANGING
FORMULAE
Pearson, Book 1, 249-252
Pemberton, pp. 112-113, 322-323
OBJECTIVES:
F2.3.F Change the subject of a formula
where the subject appears once.
H2.3.A Understand the process of
manipulating formulae or equations to
change the subject, to include cases where
the subject may appear twice or a power of
the subject occurs.
REARRANGING
FORMULAE
(variable
appears once)
SUBJECT OCCURS ONCE
It is sometimes helpful to write an
equation or formula in a different
way.
To draw the graph of 2y – 4 = 3x,
it is easier to make a table of values
if y is the subject, meaning if y = ...
KEY POINT:
To rearrange an equation or formula,
apply the same rules that are used to
solve equations.
Example
1 Rearrange the formula ax b c
to make x the subject. take b from both sides
ax b c
ax c b divide both sides by a
c b
x
a
Example
2 Rearrange the formula x(p q) 2
to make x the subject.
x(p q) 2 divide both sides by (p − q)
2
x
p q
Example 2x
3 Rearrange the formula pq
5
to make
2x x the subject.
pq multiply both sides by 5
5
2x 5pq divide both sides by 2
5pq
x
2
Example x p
4 Rearrange the formula t
p
to x px the subject.
make
t multiply both sides by p
p
x p pt add p to both sides
x pt p
Example 3x 5a
5 Rearrange the formula c
to make x the subject.
b
3x 5a multiply both sides by b
c
b
3x 5a bc add 5a to both sides
3x bc 5a divide both sides by 3
bc 5a
x
3
Example
6 Rearrange the formula a b
c
x
to make x the subject.
a b
c multiply both sides by x
x
a b cx divide both sides by c
a b
x
c
Example 2a 3bx
7 Rearrange the formula d
5c
to
2amake
3bxx the subject.
d multiply both sides by 5c
5c
2a 3bx 5cd take 2a from both sides
3bx 5cd 2a divide both sides by 3b
5cd 2a
x
3b
Example x 2
8 Rearrange the formula c b
a
to makexx2the subject.
c b multiply both sides by a
a
2
ac x ab take ab from both sides
2
x ac ab square root both sides
x ac ab
Example
9 Rearrange the formula ax b cd
to make x the subject.
ax b cd square both sides
2 2
ax b c d take b from both sides
2 2
ax c d b divide both sides by a
2 2
c d b
x
a
Example
10 Rearrange the formula 3 x y 5z
to make x the
subject.
3 x y 5z square both sides
2
9(x y ) 25z divide both sides by 9
2
25z
xy take y from both sides
9
2
25z
x y
9
Exercise 2 and 2*
Pearson Book 1
Pages 250-251
Make x the subject of these equations.
Make x the subject of these equations.
Change the subject of each
formula to the letter given in
brackets.
REARRANGING
FORMULAE
(variable appears
more than once)
POWER OF SUBJECT OCCURS
OR SUBJECT OCCURS TWICE
Make x the subject of the eq. ax2 + b = c.
Make x the subject of the eq. ax + bx = c.
ax + bx = c x appears twice in the equation
Factorise the left-hand side
so x appears only once.
x(a + b) = c (Divide both sides by (a + b))
𝑐
𝑥=
( 𝑎+𝑏)
KEY POINT:
When the letter that will become the
subject appears twice in the
formula, one of the steps will
involve factorising.
1 Make x the subject of the formula
ax – bx = c
ax bx c factorise
x(a b) c divide both sides by (a – b)
c
x
a b
2 Make x the subject of the formula
ax + b = 5x + 4
ax b 5x 4 collect xs on one side
ax 5x 4 b factorise
x(a 5) 4 b divide both sides by (a – 5)
4 b
x
a 5
3 Make x the subject of the formula
a(x − 5) = b(x + 2)
a(x 5) b(x 2) expand the brackets
ax 5a bx 2b collect xs on one side
ax bx 2b 5a factorise
x(a b) 2b 5a divide both sides by (a – b)
2b 5a
x
a b
4 Make x the subject 2xy
of the formula f
x y
2xy
f multiply both sides by x − y
x y
f (x y ) 2xy expand the brackets
fx fy 2xy collect the xs on one side
fx 2xy fy factorise
x(f 2y ) fy divide both sides by (f – 2y)
fy
x
f 2y
5 Make x the subject of the b x
formula c x
x 2 x square both sides
b b
c x c x multiply both sides by c − x
2
b (c x) x expand the brackets
b 2c b 2 x x collect the xs on one side
2 2
b c x b x factorise
2 2
b c x(1 b ) divide both sides by (1 + b2)
2
bc
x
1 b 2
6 Make x the subject a
b c
of the formula x
a
b c multiply both sides by x
x
a bx cx collect the xs on one side
a cx bx factorise
a x(c b) divide both sides by (c – b)
a
x
c b
Exercise 3 and 3*
Pearson Book 1
Pages 251-252
EXERCISE 3
EXERCISE 3
EXERCISE 3*
Make x the subject of these equations.
Change the subject of each
formula
to the letter given in brackets.
Practice
Exercise 3.8
Page 113
Practice
Exercise 7.3
Page 323
EXTRA PRACTICE
Change the subject to a.
Change the subject to x.
Change the subject to x.
Change the subject to k.
𝟒
𝟐
−𝒕
𝝅
Change the subject to y.
Change the subject to [letter].
( 𝒈 − 𝒆 )𝟐 − 𝒇
