Questions | 5 |
Focus | Solving Equations |
Topics | Inequalities, One Variable, Two Equations, Two Variables |
Question Type | Problems |
Solving equations with an inequality (<, >) uses the same process as solving equations with an equal sign. Isolate the variable that you're solving for on one wide of the equation and put everything else on the other side. The only difference is that your answer will be expressed as an inequality (x > 5) and not as an equality (x = 5).
An equation is two expressions separated by an equal sign. The key to solving equations is to repeatedly do the same thing to both sides of the equation until the variable is isolated on one side of the equal sign and the answer on the other.
When presented with two equations with two variables, evaluate the first equation in terms of the variable you're not solving for then insert that value into the second equation. For example, if you have x and y as variables and you're solving for x, evaluate one equation in terms of y and insert that value into the second equation then solve it for x.
When solving an equation with two variables, replace the variables with the values given and then solve the now variable-free equation. (Remember order of operations, PEMDAS, Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication/Division, Addition/Subtraction.)