Algebra in 3 minutes

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Comment to: lawrence@carol.net

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© David Lawrence 2000

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Learn the basics of Algebra in 3 minutes
See if you can folow the question below and how we deal with it.


Question 2:

Jane has twice as many books as Peter. Jane and Peter combined have 12 books. How many books do they each have?

Let 'x' equal the number of books Peter has (We use 'x' for the person we don't know anything about)

Therefore Jane has 2 times 'x' books. (We write this as 2x books.)

Combined they have 12 books.

We write this in the form of an equation and then proceed to solve it: (An equation is when two things are equal)

The equation is solved using the same means as in normal arithmatic. - -

-----------------12 = The number Peter has + the number Jane has

---- --....-- - - ------- Peter---Jane
---- --... - -- ------- / /-- - - - /
----------------- 12 = x + 2x

----------------- 12 = 3x --------(Add the 'x's together)------------

------- --- 12 ÷ 3 = x--------(Divide both sides by 3 to get a single 'x')

---------- -------x = 4-------

Click on the answer below you believe is the correct one

Answer to question 2:

'A' - Peter has 4 books. Jane has 3 books

'B' - Peter has 4 books. Jane has 4 books

'C' - Peter has 4 books. Jane has 6 books

'D' - Peter has 4 books. Jane has 8 books


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