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Introduction to Algebra
(Secondary 1 Express)

Contents:

Worksheet 1 The Use of Letters in Algebra Page 2 – 5

Worksheet 2 Evaluation of Algebraic Expressions and Formulae Page 6 – 7

Worksheet 3 Translation of Real World Situations into Algebraic Page 8 – 10

Expressions

Worksheet 4 Consolidation Exercise Page 11 – 12

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Worksheet 1

The Use of Letters in Algebra

In Algebra, letters (e.g. x, y, a, b, c,… ) are used to represent numbers and variables. A
variable represents an unknown value.

Definition: Algebraic expression involves number and letters that are connected with
operation symbols such as ‘+’, ‘–‘, ‘’ and ‘’.

a
For example, 9 x  7, m  n, are algebraic expressions.
b

Definition: In the term 3x, the constant ‘3’ is the coefficient of the term 3x.

Try it! 1

Mary is 9 years old now. Find her age after

a) 3 years, b) 10 years, c) t years.

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Try it! 2

A worker’s salary is $200 less than one-third of a manager’ salary/ Find the worker’s salary
when the manager’s salary is

a) $7200, b) $9000, c) $m.

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Try it! 3

The price of a cup is $5 and the price of a plate is $12. Find the total price of

a) 3 cups and 2 plates b) n cups and m plates

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The examples below show how to rewrite mathematical statements as algebraic expressions.

Words Algebraic Expression

Add b to c.

Subtract c from d.

Multiply f by g.

Divide h by k.

Add 5 to the sum of p and q.

Subtract 3 from the product of p and q.

Try it! 5

Express the following statements algebraically.

a) Multiply the sum of c and d by u.

b) Subtract the quotient of a divided by b from the cube of v.

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Index Notation

Previously, we have learnt, 6  6  6 = 63 and 7  7  7  7 = 74’ In algebra, the notation is the

same.

a = a1 note that we do not write a1

b  b = b2 read as ‘b squared’;

c  c  c = c3 read as ‘c cubed’;

d  d  d  d = d4 read as ‘c to the power of four’;

e  e  e  e  e = e5 read as ‘c to the power of five’;

Try it! 4

Simplify the following:

a) d  e 1 e

b) 4m  5n  m  m

c) 7t  y  2

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Practice Questions

1. Simplify 2a  b + 3a  b  5b.

Question Bank Ans: 2ab + 15ab2

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2. Simplify 4c + 5d  10.

d
Question Bank Ans: 4c 
2

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1 2
3. Simplify 6m  m  24n  m  n  2n.
2 3

m2 2 2
Question Bank Ans:  mn
4n 3

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4. Express the result of the following word statement algebraically:

Multiply the sum of 11p and q by the cube root of 3q.

Question Bank Ans: 11 p  q  3 3q

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5. Express the result of the following word statement algebraically:

Add the cube of r to 12s divided by 4t.

3s
Question Bank Ans: r 3 
t

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Worksheet 2

Evaluation of Algebraic Expressions and Formulae

Consider the total price of n watermelons and m mangoes which cost $2 and $4 respectively.
The total price is $(2n + 4m).

If n = 3 and m = 7 (ie, he bought 3 water melons and 5 mangoes), then the total price is

$(2 3 + 4 7) = $34.

The process of replacing each variable with its value to find the actual value of an algebraic
expression is called substitution.

Try it! 6

When x = 4 and y = 3, find the values of

a) 2x  4 y b) xy 2  2 xy  7 .

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Try it! 7

3
When x  , y = 6 and z = –5, find the values of the following:
4

10 xy  z  2
a) z 8x  yz  b) .
xy 2  3

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Try it! 9

1
Given the formula D  n  n  3 , find the value of D when
2

a) n = 5, b) n = 12

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Practice Questions

ab  b
1. Given that a = 3 and b = 5, find the value of
a  ab

5
Question Bank Ans: 
3

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1
2. Given that f = 4, g = 1 and h = 3, find the value of  2 f  g  g  4h  .
3

Question Bank Ans: 33

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3. If z = 3x  y 3 , find the value of z when x = 2 and y = 3.

Question Bank Ans: 18

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 3  3
4. Find the value of the algebraic expression u 2  v  w  when u = 7, v =  and
 7  7
w = 1.4.

42
Question Bank Ans:
5

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1 3 2b
5. Given that a = 5, b =  and c = , find the value of 3 .
2 5 
5 ac  b3 

2
Question Bank Ans: 
5

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Worksheet 3

Translation of Real World Situations into Algebraic Expressions

We may use algebraic expressions and formulae to express the relationship between two or
more quantities in our daily life.

Try it! 12

There are 3 times as many children as adults.

a) Let n be the number of adults. Express the number of children in terms of n.

b) Let m be the number of children. Write down a formula connecting m and n.

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Try it! 13

In a department store, the price of a ceramic pan is $216 while the price of a stainless pan is
$s.

a) Express the number of stainless pans that can be bought for $216.

b) If s = 18, find the number of stainless pans that can be bought for $216.

c) Mrs Muthu bought n ceramics pans as rewards for her staff. Let $m be the amount she
paid for the pans. Write a formula connecting m and n.

d) Find the value of m when n = 7.

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Try it! 14

In an examination, Alan’s score is 5 marks more than three-quarters of Budi’s score, and
Chetan’s score is 37 marks less than twice of Alan’s score. Let a, b and c be the scores of
Alan, Budi and Chetan respectively.

a) Express a and c in terms of b.

b) If Budi’s score is 80, find the scores of Alan and Chetan.

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Practice Questions

1. Ali is driving at a constant speed of x km/h.

(a) Express the time taken for Ali to travel a distance of 300 km in terms of x.

(b) If Ali drives for 2 h 15 min, express his distance travelled in terms of x.

300 9x
Question Bank Ans: a) h b) km
x 4

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2. Mangoes are sold at x cents each. Oranges are sold at 3 for $y. Apples are each sold at
50 cents cheaper than each mango.

(a) Express the cost of 5 oranges in terms of y.

(b) Express the cost of an apple in dollars in terms of x.

(c) Express the cost of 3 mangoes and 6 oranges in dollars in terms of x

and y.

(d) If Mrs Lee paid for the 3 mangoes and 6 oranges with a twenty-dollar

note, find the change she received, given that x = 95 and y = 1.20.

 5y   x  50 
Question Bank Ans: a) $   b) $   c) $(0.03x + 2y) d) $14.75
 3   100 

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3. A box of oranges contains 26 oranges and a box of apples contains 30 apples.

Mrs Lim bought m boxes of oranges and n boxes of apples. If there are an average of
p bad oranges and q bad apples in each of boxes, how many good oranges and apples
did Mrs Lim have altogether?

Question Bank Ans: (26m  pm  30n  nq)

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4. A piece of wire is used to make a rectangle of length x cm and breadth y cm.

(a) Find the length of the piece of wire in terms of x and y.

(b) Find the area of the rectangle formed in terms of x and y.
(c) If the same piece of wire is used to make a square, find the area of the

square in terms of x and y.

(d) If another piece of wire is used to make a square with the same area as the
rectangle made with the first piece of wire, find the perimeter of the square in
terms of x and y.

(b) Given that x = 9 and y = 16, find the length of one side of the square made
with the second piece of wire.

pqr
Question Bank Ans: a) 2pq + 2pr + 2qr cm2 b) pqr cm3 c) 3 cm d) 9 cm
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Worksheet 4

Consolidation Exercise

1. Khamisah is 9 years older than her brother. If her brother is x years old, how old was
Khamisah 5 years ago?

Question Bank Ans: (x + 4) years

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2. The total charge, $C, for a buffet dinner, for x adults and y children under the age of
12, is given by the formula C = 20x + 15y.
(a) Explain what the numbers 20 and 15 stand for.

(b) If four adults go for the buffet dinner, find how much they pay for the

dinner altogether.

(c) If a married couple bring their three children who are below 12 years old for
the buffet dinner, find how much the dinner costs altogether.

(d) During a promotion, an adult is charged $5 less than the usual price while a
child below 12 years old is charged half the usual price. Find how much the
buffet dinner costs altogether for four adults and five children during the
promotion.

Question Bank Ans: a) Adult and child were charged $20 and $15 respectively

b) $80 c) $ 85 d) $97.50

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3. The average of 4 numbers is x. If a fifth number is added, the average is 7.

What is the fifth number?

Question Bank Ans: 35 – 4x

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4. To produce a book, the typing cost is $2.00 per page and the printing costs $x for
every 50 copies of the book. Find the total cost of producing 250 copies of a book
with y pages.

Question Bank Ans: $(2y + 5x)

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5. A wooden pole, l metres long, is painted red on one half and blue on the other half.
Mr Tan decided to saw off x cm off the red half and y cm off the blue half.

(a) What is the length of the red portion left?

(b) If Mr Tan cuts the remainder of the blue portion into 3 equal pieces,

what is the length of each of the 3 pieces ?

Question Bank Ans: a) 50l  x  cm. 50l  y  cm

1
b)
3

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6. Mei Ling received $3.00 a day for x days. If she saved fifty cents on each of the first p
1
days and eighty cents on the other days, show that she spent $ (3 p  22 x) during
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these x days?

1
Question Bank Ans: $ (3 p  22 x)
10

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