Maths Flashcards
Section A: Algebra
This section requires you to know the following principles of algebra to answer the questions.
Term
A term is anything that is joined together by multiplication and/or division. Example. 5b (5 * b)
Pronumeral
A pronumeral is a letter that is used to represent a number we don’t know. It can be any letter of the alphabet.
Coefficient
A coefficient is the number that goes before the pronumeral. For example, 8h. 8 is the coefficient. This means that 8 is multiplied with h.
Constant Term
A constant term is a term that doesn’t have a pronumeral. This is basically any number.
Invisible multiplication and division signs
If using multiplication or division, we would make it invisible to save space. So 9 * x = 9x. With division, you would turn it into a fraction. So 10 ÷ y = 10/y.
Substitution
Substitution is the process of substituting a pronumeral with a number. So if we say n = 4, we can solve 5n, which is 5*4, equals 20.
Equivalent Expression
If expressions are equivalent, their values are the same. So, 3x + 5x is equivalent to 8x.
Like terms
To find which terms are like, we must look at the pronumeral. So, 5a and 6a are like, but 7b and 9c aren’t. This is because they have different pronumerals.
Combining like terms
When you combine like terms, you simplify them. Fo example, 5x + 6x can be simplified to 11x. However, 9x + 4y + 2x cannot be simplified into 15xy. It can only be simplified into 11x + 4y.
Multiplying expressions
If you were asked to multiply different expressions, all you need to do is mash them up. So, 5a * 7b is 35ab.
Dividing expressions
When dividing fractions, all you need to do is put them on top of each other on a fraction. So, 4m ÷ 9s = 4m/9s. If the expression became 3ab/6b, you can simplify it into a/2. (As 3 and 6 can both be divided by 3, and b and b can be divided by b, so both cancel each other out.).
The distributive law
The distributive law requires you to expand brackets. If you get the expression y(3+x), you can expand it by multiplying y with both numbers in the brackets SEPARATELY. This gives 3y + xy.
Section B: Linear Equations
This section requires you to know the following principles to answer these questions.
What is the aim of an equation, anyway?
The aim of an equation is to find whatever the pronumeral is. If you give the equation x + 7 = 12, the goal is to find what x is. Here, it is obvious that x = 5, but in more complicated equations, you must know what the steps are to solving the equation.
How do you solve equations?
You must first see what “journey” the pronumeral took to get to the final result. If you look at the equation 3x + 4 = 22, you will find out that x first multiplied by 3, then added 4. Its final number is 22. So, to find out x, you reverse the steps. You first subtract 4, then divide by 3. Doing this leaves you with 6. To, make sure your answer is correct, do the equation with the number you think x is to see if it is correct.
How do you make an equation for real life situations?
You need to think about what the problem is talking about. If it says, “A pen costs $x while and the cost for 4 pens is $6,” You know that x multiplied by 4 to get 6. The equation is 4x = 6.