Algebraic Expressions

Objectives: Appreciate the purpose of algebraic variables and simplify

algebraic expressions.
Substitute into algebraic expressions.
Form algebraic expressions from worded information.
INTRO :: What is algebra?
Algebra concerns representing
missing information.

Put simply, we use letters,

known as variables, to (usually)
represent numbers.

Usually, the value of variables

are not initially known, but we
hope to combine available
information to find their value.

Examples:
might represent someone’s age
this year.

might represent an unknown

Source: Google angle.
INTRO :: Examples of algebraic expressions
Suppose represented your current age.
What would these expressions represent?

Your age in 4? years time.

?
Twice your age.

? age.
A third of your
A few variable naming
conventions:
We tend to use a single lower-case
letter, either using the English
alphabet (a to z) or using the greek
alphabet ()
INTRO :: Two stages of algebraic problems
Worded problem
[JMC 2008 Q18] Granny swears that she is getting younger. She has
calculated that she is four times as old as I am now, but remember that 5
years ago she was five times as old as I was at that time. What is the sum of
our ages now?
We won’t solve this now, but how would we approach such a problem?

Stage 1: Represent Stage 2: ‘Solve’ equation(s)

problem algebraically to find value of variables.
Let be my age and be
Granny’s age.

These next few lessons we’ll Stage 2, ‘solving’, we’ll do later this year.
be looking at Stage 1. Being able to do these two stages for difficult problems is a
vital skill for Maths Challenges/Olympiads.
Algebraic Simplification – Adding/Subtracting

How does this ‘simplify’? Why conceptually does it work?

4 𝑎 +3 𝑎 → 𝟕? 𝒂
If you had “4 lots of ” and added “3 lots of ”, we’d clearly have “7 lots of ”, i.e.

Bro Note: An algebraic is written using two

More Examples:
back-to-back c’s. Do NOT write as a symbol.

3 𝑥+ 7 𝑥 − 𝑥 → 𝟗? 𝒙
3 𝑎+ 4 𝑏+ 𝑎−2 𝑏 → 𝟒 𝒂 +𝟐
? 𝒃
We ‘collected’ the terms together and the terms together. We say we
‘collected like terms’. Let’s do an activity based on ‘like’ terms.
ACTIVITY :: Collecting Like Terms
Instructions: In pairs, discuss which terms you think might be ‘like’ terms, i.e. they could
be combined together into one when adding/subtracting.

x2 9x 4x2y
3x3
2x2 y 2
Therefore, terms are ‘like
2x2y x terms’ if:

-1
The involve the same
variables and?powers.

-x3 -3x2
5xy 5xy2 +4
Quick fire Examples

?
A common Schoolboy Error

9 − 3 𝑥 +2 𝑥 →𝟗 −
? 𝒙

You might be tempted to simplify to .

But we saw earlier with BIDMAS that addition and subtraction
have the same precedence. , so we have lots of .

Some find it helpful to underline each term (with the + or –

symbol on the front) when collecting like terms.
 ACTIVITY :: Addition Pyramids
You should have printed the following pyramids. Each block is 𝑎+3 𝑏
the sum of the two below it, e.g. as per on the right.
Can you fill in the missing blocks?
2 𝑏𝑎 +𝑏

1
5 𝑥+5
? 𝑦 2
3 𝑥 −𝑥+3
?
2

3 𝑥+
? 𝑦 2 𝑥+4
? 𝑦
2 2
2 𝑥 − 𝑥 𝑥 ?+ 3
?
𝑥−2 𝑦2 𝑥+3 𝑦 𝑦 𝑥 𝑥 − 𝑥 𝑥+ 3
2 2

3 4
10𝑎+2𝑏 0
5 𝑎+𝑏5 𝑎+𝑏
? −3? 𝑥 3?𝑥
? 3 𝑎2 𝑎+𝑏
2 𝑎+𝑏 ? ? 𝑦 𝑥−2
−5𝑥−2𝑦2 𝑥+2 ? 𝑦
𝑎𝑎+𝑏 ? 2𝑎− ? 𝑏2 ?𝑏 −5 𝑥−7
? 𝑦5 𝑦 2 − 𝑥+𝑦
?
Multiplying
In algebra, we don’t like the symbol; instead we put things next
to each other to indicate they are multiplied.

?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
Test Your Understanding (so far)
Simplify the following.

3 𝑥+3 𝑥→𝟔𝒙
a ?
b ?
c ?
d ?
e ?
Division

6 2
→ ?
9 3
Fractions are ultimately just divisions. How did we
simplify this fraction?
Can we apply the same principle to algebraic division?

? ? ?

? ? ?
Test Your Understanding

?
 Exercise 1 Simplify the following, or write ‘already simplified’.

1
a ?
b ?
c ?
d ?
e ?
f ?
g ?
h ?
i ?
j

2 ?
a ? b ?
c ? d ?
e ? f ?
g ? h ?
i ?
j ?
k ?
l ?
Substitution

What is the value of when ?

(Click answer)

12? 36?

We saw by BIDMAS earlier that because indices come

first, the is first squared, THEN multiplied by 3.
means not .

If you think of as “3 lots of ” you’re less likely to make

an error.
Substitution

If and , what is the value of:

Terms
Bro Tips:
Start by working out each of the
? terms first (mentally if you can)
leaving the +/- symbols between as
they are.
Don’t try to do all at once.
?

?
Another Example

If and , what is the value of:

?
/?

?
Test Your Understanding

If and , what is the value of:

?
?
?

?
Formula
A formula (plural: formulae) is a rule to generate one value of
interest from others.
For example, the following formula allows you to find the
temperature in Fahrenheit given the temperature in Celsius:

The variable of interest goes on the LHS of the equals.

What is when:

?
?
?
Exercise 2
1 If and what is the value of:

a ?
b
If , what is: ?
c ?
d ?
The smell intensity given the distance
2 in metres from the source is given by
the
a formula: ?
b ?
c
What is the smell intensity?when the
distance
d is metres? ?
e ?
3

?
Forming Expressions
Worded problem
[JMC 2008 Q18] Granny swears that she is getting younger. She has
calculated that she is four times as old as I am now, but remember that 5
years ago she was five times as old as I was at that time. What is the sum of
our ages now?

Stage 1: Represent Stage 2: ‘Solve’ equation(s)

problem algebraically to find value of variables.
Let be my age and be
Granny’s age.

Remember this problem? We’ll be looking how we can turn

worded information into algebraic expressions.
Forming Expressions
Suppose represents your age. How would you represent:

Your age in 5 years time?

?
Twice what your age was 5 years ago? ?
5 years younger than twice your age? ?
Half what your age was 3 years ago? ?

Later this year you’ll properly learn how

to ‘expand brackets’.