GRADE 9 – TOPIC 09

ALGEBRAIC EQUATIONS

1. SOLVE EQUATIONS

1.1 USE INVERSE OPERATIOINS TO SOLVE EQUATIONS

To solve an equation, we use inverse operations to isolate the variable

on one side of the equation. Remember, what you do on the one side
of the equation, you have to do on the other side.


Example 1

Solve for x : 6 x  4  2  3x

Solution:

6 x  4  2  3 x
 Add  3 x to both sides to get 
 6 x  4  3 x  2  3 x  3 x  the variables on left hand side 
 
 3 x  4  2 Add like terms
To get x alone on the left hand side 
 3 x  4  4  2  4 add  4 to both sides of equation 
 
 3 x  6 Add like terms
 x  2 Divide both sides by 3

Now look at this shorter way to solve this equation:



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 6 x  4  2  3x
 Add  3x and  4 to both 
 6 x  4  4  3x  2  3 x  3 x  4 sides simultaneously 
 
 3x  6  Add like terms
 x  2  Divide both sides by 3

You know that  4  4   0 and  3x  3x   0 . Instead of writing:

 6 x   4  4   3x  2   3x  3x   4 , you can only write



6 x  3x  2  4 Much shorter! Consider example 2.



Example 2

Solve for x : 3x  7  2 x  5  2  3x

Solution:

3x  7  2 x  5  2  3x
 Add 7 and  3x, the additive 
 3x  2 x  3x  5  2  7 inverses of  7 and 3x to both sides 
 
 2 x  10
x  5

1.2 SOLVE EQUATIONS CONTAINING BRACKETS

First remove brackets before solving the equation.


 2
Example 3

Solve for y : 8   y  3  5  y  1

Solution:

8   y  3  5  y  1
8  y  3  5 y  5  Remember:     and     
 y  5 y  5  8  3
6 y  6
 y 1

1.3 SOLVE EQUATIONS WITH FRACTIONS

Example 4

Solve for x :

a) 3x
4  56x  3 b) 3 x 2
7  x 2
3

Solution:

a) 3x
4  56x  3
12  34x   12  56x   12  3  Multiply by LCM of denominators  12
 9 x  10 x  36 12  34x   364 x  9 x; 12  56x   606 x  10 x 
 9 x  10 x  36 Add to both sides:  10 x 
 x  36 9 x  10 x   x 
 x  36 Divide both sides by  1
3
b) 3 x 2
7  x 2
3


21 3 x 2 
7  3 Multiply by LCM of denominators  21
21 x 2 

 21  7  3; therefore, 3  3 x  2  and 
 3  3 x  2  =7  x  2   
 21  3=7; therefore, 7  x  2  
 9 x - 6  7 x -14 Remove brackets 
 9 x  7 x  14  6  Add to both sides:  7 x and 6
 2x  8
 x  4 Divide both sides by 2

Example 5
Division by 0 is undefined. When
there is an unknown in the
Solve for a : 7 a 5
a  7a  1
denominator, remember that the
denominator may not be zero. In
Solution: this example a  0.

7 a 5
a  7a  1 
 a  7 aa5   a  a7   a 1
 7a  5  7  a
 7a  a  5  7
 6a  12
a  2

1.4 SOLVE QUADRATIC EQUATIONS

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Any number multiplied by zero equals zero. Therefore, when two factors
are multiplied together and the product equals zero, then one of the factors
has to equal zero.

Zero-factor rule

If  a  b   0, then a  0 or b  0 or both a and b  0


 will use this rule to solve quadratic equations.
We

When you have to solve a quadratic equation

*Write all the terms on the left-hand side of the equation in the form
x2  bx  c  0.
*Factorise the left-hand side so you have  a  b   0.
*Let each factor equal 0 and solve the two equations.


 a quadratic equation has already been factorised, let each factor equal
When
zero and solve. Consider the following example:

Example 6

Solve for x :

a) x  2 x  4   0 b)  3x  2  2 x  1  0

Note: Both expressions have already been

Solution: factorised; let each factor equal zero.

a) x  2 x  4   0 

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  x  0 or  2 x  4   0  Let each factor equal 0
 x  0 or 2 x  4  4  4 Solve the equations
 x  0 or 2x=-4
 x  0 or x  2

b)  3x  2  2 x  1  0
  3x  2   0 or  2 x  1  0  Let each factor equal 0
 3x  2  2  2 or 2 x  1  1  1
 3x  2 or 2 x  1
x  2
3 or x   12

Example 7

Solve the following equations:

a) 2 x 2  18  0 b) m2  5m  14  0
c) x 2  6 x  0 d) x 2  3x  10

Solution:

a) 2 x 2  18  0
 2  x2  9  0 Take out the common factor  2  
 2  x  3 x  3  0  Factorise: difference between 2 squares
 At least one factor must equal 0;
 x  3  0 or x  3  0  therefore, let each factor equal 0 
 
 x  3 or x  3

b) m2  5m  14  0

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   m  7  m  2   0  Factorise trinomial on left-hand side
 m  7  0 or m  2  0  Let each factor equal 0
 m  7 or m  2

c) x 2  6 x  0
 x  x  6  0  Factorise: take out common factor 
 x  0 or  x  6   0  Let each factor equal 0
 x  0 or x  6 Solve both equations

d) x 2  3x  10
 Write equation in the form:
 x 2  3 x  10  0 expression = 0 
 
 Factorise  5  2  10 and 
  x  5  x  2   0  
 5  2  3  x  5  x  2  
 x  5  0 or x  2  0  Let each factor = 0
 x  5 or x  2 Solve both equations

2. USE EQUATIONS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS

To solve problems, use the information given and set up an equation. Now
solve the equation.

Example 8

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Eight times a number increased by five equals nine times the number
increased by two. Find the number.

Solution:

Let the number  x.

8  the number  increased by 5  9  the number  increased by 2

8x  5 9x  2

 Add  9 x and  5 to both sides; 

8x  9 x  2  5  LHS: 5  5  0 and RHS: 9 x  9 x  0 
 
 x  3
x  3 Divide both sides by  1

The number is 3.

Example 9

The difference between the square of an integer and three times the same
number, equals 18. Determine the number.

Solution:

Let the number  x. Set up an equation.

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Square of a number  three times the number = 18
x2 3x

 x 2  3x  18  0
  x  6  x  3  0
 x  6  0 or x  3  0
 x  6 or x  3

The number is an integer and can 

The number is 6 or  3.  therefore be negative. 
 

Example 10

The length of a rectangle is 2 meters longer than the breadth. If the area of
the rectangle is 15 m 2 , determine the dimensions of the rectangle.

Solution:

Let the breadth  x and the length  x  2. Area = l  b

 x  x  2   15
 x 2  2 x  15
 x 2  2 x  15  0
  x  5  x  3  0
 x  5 or x  3
x  3  Distance cannot be negative

 Breadth = 3m and length = 5m

3. USE SUBSTITUTION TO GENERATE TABLES OR ORDERED

NUMBER PAIRS

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An ordered number pair consists of two numbers written in brackets. The
x  value is written first and the y  value second. We use substitution to
generate tables of ordered number pairs.

Example 11

The equation y  3x  5 is given. Complete the table and then write down
the ordered number pairs.

x 3 1 1 3 5
y

Solution:

y  3x  5

x  3 : y  3  3  5
 y  9  5  14 x 3 1 1 3 5
y 14 8 -2 4 10
x  1: y  3  1  5
 y  3  5  8
x  1: y  3 1  5
 y  35  2
x  3: y  3  3  5
y  95 4
x  5: y  35  5
 y  15  5  10

The ordered number pairs are:

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 3; 14 ;  1; 8; 1; 4 ; 3;4 ; 5;10 

You will use ordered number pairs to draw graphs in the next section.

ALGEBRAIC EQUATIONS
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

Solve equations

*Use additive and multiplication inverses

2 x  3  15  x
 2 x  3  x  3  15  x  x  3
 3x  18
x  6

*Use factorisation (quadratic equations)

x 2  3x  4  0
  x  4  x  1  0  Factorise left-hand side
 x  4  0 or x  4  0  Zero-factor rule
x  4 or x  1

Remember, first write an quadratic equation in the form

expression = 0 before solving the equation.
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x2  x  3
 x2  x  3  0  Add  3 to both sides 
 Solve problems

*Let the unknown be x.

*Use the information given to set up an equation.
*Solve the equation.
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

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