Algebra is arithmetic with letters. An arithmetic example would be 3 + 4 = The same example
written as an algebra problem would be 3 + 4 = r In both cases the answer is 7.
Letters are symbols in algebra and are called variables or unknowns. Humans use a lot of symbols.
For example your name is a symbol. You can change your name and you will still be the same person.
In the above problem we could use t or x or u or any thing we want instead of r. The result would
still be 7.
Remember math is a language and it has sentences and symbols the same as English and Spanish have.
Words are symbols. ex high school
Let us look at some nice easy problems: 3 x 4 = 12 If you remember from the 4th grade
you could prove your answer in multiplication was correct by dividing the answer by one
of the factors.( a factor is the numbers or letters that are multiplied together - ex 3 and 4 are factors)
Your answer after you divided would be the other factor ex 3 x 4 = 12 4 = 12/3
This concept is useful in algebra
3 x 4 = 12 4 = 12/3 3 = 12/4 Lets look at an algebra problem
7 x t = 14 t = 14/7 hence t = 2 Notice we are using the concept from
arithmetic to solve an algebra problem. Now in algebra we usually write 7 x t = 14 as 7t = 14
7t by definition means 7 x t or t multiplied by seven. Is 7 = 14/t ?
REMEMBER: Algebra is arithmetic with letters.