Pre Algebra Concepts
Include - integers, order of operations, polynomials, linear equations and exponents
Integers
Are any whole numbers that can either be categorized into positive, negative, and
zero
Negative integers are any whole number below zero, and Positive Integers are any
whole numbers above zero.
e.g -4 is a negative integer, while 4 is a positive integer.
Adding and Subtracting integers
When adding integers with the same sign, you will add the numbers as is, and keep the
sign.
When adding integers with different signs, you will subtract and use the sign of the
bigger number.
When adding integers with the same number, but different signs, the answer will always
be 0
same sign, add (e.g 1 + 2 = 3 & -1 + (-2) = -3) different sign, subtract (e.g -1
+ 2 = 1 & 1 + (-2) = -1`
In Subtracting two integers with different signs, change the sign of the integer that is
subtracted. Then, check if both the integers become positive, the result will be positive
and if both the integers are negative, then the result will be negative.
e.g
MULTIPLYING AND DIVIDING INTEGERS
When multiplying or dividing integers, you multiply/divide normally and if both integers
have the same sign, the answer will be positive. If the integers have different signs, the
answer will be negative.
e.g
Multiplication
-4 x (-4) = 16
4 x 4 = 16
4 x (-4) = -16
-4 x 4 = -16
Division
-4 ÷ (-4) = 1
4÷4=1
4 ÷ (-4) = -1
-4 ÷ 4 = -1
ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS AND HOW TO SIMPLIFY
THEM
what are algebraic expressions?
An algebraic expression is a mathematical phrase that can contain ordinary
numbers, variables (like x or y) and operators (like add, subtract, multiply, and
divide).
ex. a + b - c
In algebra, we use letters to stand for numbers. We need to be able to work with
these letters by following a few simple rules
1. Collecting like terms
**2. Multiplying out brackets
**3. Simplifying algebraic expressions
to simplify algebraic expressions, we simply combine the two previous rules
4. Factorising algebraic expressions
ex.
source: https://www.polytechnic.bh/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/SIMPLIFYING-
EXRESSIONS_1_R.pdf
POLYNOMIALS
a polynomial is an expression consisting of variables and coefficients
variables - an alphabet or term that represents an unknown number or unknown value
or unknown quantity. commonly used variables are x and y but can be any of the
alphabet.
coefficient - a number that is multiplied by a variable, not to be confused by whole
numbers which do not have a variable next to them.
Parts of a polynomial
in the given image,
variable - y and x
coefficient - 7x
constant - 8
operator - +
TYPES OF POLYNOMIALS
Monomial - s a polynomial with one term (ex. 9x)
Binomial - is a polynomial with two, different terms (9x² + x)
Trinomial - is a polynomial with three, different terms (9x² + x + 5)
a polynomial with 4 terms would normally be considered a quadrinomial , but that term
is rarely used so it can also be referred to as a four term polynomial
Adding Polynomials
To add polynomials we must arrange the terms of the polynomials so that the like
terms can be added together or combined. A vertical or horizontal format can be
used. Most students find the vertical format easier to understand.
ex. (4x 2 + 7x − 8) + (−9x 2 − 3x + 10)
in special cases, some polynomials won't have the same exponent or variable. In
that case,
ex. (3y 3 + 4y + 14) + (−4y 2 + 21)
Subtracting Polynomials
In order to understand subtraction of polynomials we must go back to when we first
learned to subtract integers. REMEMBER that we changed the operation of
subtraction to addition and then changed the number we were subtracting to its
opposite.
The same concept is used in subtraction of polynomials. We must change the
operation of subtraction to addition and then change the second polynomial (the
one we are subtracting) to its opposite.
To find the opposite of any polynomial, we must change EVERY term in the
polynomial to its opposite.
ex. (12x 2 + 3x − 1) − (8x 2 − 6x + 4)
ex 2.
source: https://www.tcc.fl.edu/media/divisions/learning-commons/resources-by-
subject/math/foundational-math/polynomials/Adding-and-Subtracting-Polynomials.pdf
LINEAR EQUATIONS
A linear equation is an equation that has the highest degree of 1 is known as
a linear equation. This means that no variable in a linear equation has a variable
whose exponent is more than 1. The graph of a linear equation always forms a
*straight line.
How to identify if an equation is linear or not
since a linear equation only has the highest degree of 1, any term that has an
exponent higher than 1 is not considered as a linear equation
Linear Equation Slope Formula
The linear equation formula can be written in a simple slope-intercept form
y = mx + b
m = the slope of the line
b = y-intercept of the line
(x, y) represent every point on the line (x and y have to be kept as the variables
while applying the above formula.)
(for those confused on what x and y is in a graph, x represents the horizontal line in a
graph, while y represents the vertical line)
**Final Answer should look like this
