Help! Basic Algebra??

northernsoul · Post by **northernsoul** » Wed May 05, 2010 8:23 pm

Oh no.... Can anyone please help? DC is trying to complete homework and I haven't a clue.....
How do you simplify:

4a + 3b - 2c + 3a -b + c =

northernsoul · Post by **northernsoul** » Wed May 05, 2010 8:31 pm

sorry... panic over... DC knows what she's doing even if I haven't a clue!
phew.

moved · Post by **moved** » Wed May 05, 2010 8:41 pm

For the future you collect all the like terms together:

4a + 3b - 2c + 3a -b + c =

4a + 3a = 7a

3b - b = 2b

-2c + c = -c

So the answer would be

7a + 2b -c

northernsoul · Post by **northernsoul** » Wed May 05, 2010 8:57 pm

Thanks moved! Must find some time to get my head around algebra

moved · Post by **moved** » Wed May 05, 2010 9:02 pm

Using the letters for objects does help.

4 aardvarks + 3 aardvarks

3 beetles - 1 beetle

-2 crabs + 1 crab

Chelmsford mum · Post by **Chelmsford mum** » Wed May 05, 2010 9:56 pm

moved wrote:Using the letters for objects does help.

4 aardvarks + 3 aardvarks

3 beetles - 1 beetle

-2 crabs + 1 crab

I like that.

dadofkent · Post by **dadofkent** » Fri May 07, 2010 5:06 pm

Chelmsford mum wrote:
moved wrote:Using the letters for objects does help.

4 aardvarks + 3 aardvarks

3 beetles - 1 beetle

-2 crabs + 1 crab
I like that.

Or try apples bananas carrots etc. Tescos dont sell aardvarks. And they stay where they are put on the table.

pheasantchick · Post by **pheasantchick** » Sun May 16, 2010 8:59 am

doodles · Post by **doodles** » Sun May 16, 2010 12:33 pm

Dad of Kent and Moved - why oh why weren't you my maths teachers! It would have been so much more fun.