As the final SparkNote within Pre-Algebra, this guide serves as the jumping off
point from pre-algebra to algebra. As such, this chapter will
introduce the reader to variables and how to evaluate expressions and solve equations that contain
variables.
The first section will explain what a
variable is and how variables are used. This is essential knowledge--variables
are the crux of algebra.
The second section will deal with
algebraic expressions--that is, expressions containing a variable.
It
will explain how to evaluate an algebraic expression, given a quantity for the
variable.
The final section is an introduction to
solving algebraic equations--equations that contain a variable. It
will teach the reader how to determine which number a variable represents
by using inverse operations. This topic will reappear in
algebra; in fact, much of algebra is concerned with solving equations for
variables.
The material covered in this section is very important. It is the gateway from
pre-algebra to algebra. Much of this study guide has been concerned with
understanding operations and how they can be
applied to given numbers. Now, we will begin to explore operations on
unknown numbers. This chapter will introduce the concept of
representing unknown numbers by variables, which will be used in all of
mathematics--algebra and beyond--as well as physics,
chemistry, statistics, and economics.
