Another group of friends paid $122 for 8 children and 3 adults. We paid for everyone's tickets for a total of $162. We decided to go to a music concert with all our friends, including 12 children and 3 adults. Now let's see how this all works with an example. We can use a wide range of strategies to solve the equation, including substitution, elimination, or graphing.Īn example of a word problem translated into a linear equation Using our math skills, we can now solve the problem and find the values of our variables. Make sure you write out what each variable represents below the equation so you don't forget. Plug in all of your known values and use letters like 'x' and 'y' to represent the unknown variables. Turn the word problem into an equation.If we can't define the words properly, our equation won't be accurate. Take a second to think about the 'problem.' What are we trying to find out? What is the 'variable' in this word problem? Define all of the words carefully.If we follow a few simple steps, we can turn certain word problems into linear equations: How to turn word problems into linear equations The unknowns can become variables, like 'x' or 'y.' We need to know at least some of these values to build our linear equation.Instead of saying, 'There are a few boxes,' the word problem needs to tell us how many boxes there are. There are different quantities of things, such as a specific number of people, objects, hours, and so on.These clues tell us that we can turn our word problem into a linear equation: It's one of the most interesting things about math - so let's get started! How to tell when a word problem can become a linear equationįirst, we need to keep our eyes open for a number of clues. With a few simple steps, you can turn real questions about the world around you into equations, allowing you to calculate things that you never thought possible. Writing Systems of Linear Equations from Word ProblemsĪs we learn about math, we often ask ourselves, 'How is any of this knowledge useful in life? When will I ever need to use algebra?' Here's the thing: When you know how to 'translate' word problems into algebraic equations, you'll immediately see how useful math really is.

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