Basic Algebra Problem Solving

Maybe you broke up the problem without realizing it, and this answer will lead to other answers and eventually to the right answer.

Maybe you don't know how to find all the variables all at once, but you might be able to figure them out one at a time. Sometimes a verbal description or an equation don't really speak to you.

Once you solve the easy parts, those answers can help you get the rest of the way. A quick sketch or a careful graph can sometimes make relationships clear in a way that words or numbers don't.

Where do you even begin when you're faced with a statement bursting with addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, exponents, radicals, parentheses, and brackets? It specifies the order in which to perform the operations in an expression or equation.

Just like the properties of real numbers apply in both arithmetic and algebra, so does the order operations.

The Identity Property describes numbers that can be added or multiplied to other numbers without changing the values of those numbers.

Identities allow a term to maintain its identity even after addition or multiplication.PEMDAS tells us exactly what steps to follow when evaluating expressions.It's just like giving everyone identical directions to a meeting place—if we all make the same turns in the same order, we should all end up in the same spot.Others require that numbers can only be handled one way or the process will go wrong.The ability to play with the parts of an equation (or not) are described by mathematical properties.Perhaps you need to go back and make sure you understand the problem. If you keep trying, and vary your approach, you will get it. If you’ve ever played a video game or packed a suitcase for a long trip, you know that the order and placement of objects makes a difference in the outcome.Take a second to step back and look it over with fresh eyes. Some things can be moved around to wherever they are convenient, while others can only go a certain way or they won’t fit.The Distributive Property is one of the most important tools in algebra.It provides a way to rearrange expressions full of variables, parentheses, and operations, and make complex problems easier to solve.Equality, as represented by the equals symbol, tells us that the two sides of an algebraic expression have the same value.Equality has several properties that are useful in solving algebraic equations.