Basic Algebra Explained Simply

🧮 Basic Algebra Explained Simply

Algebra is just math with letters! Don’t worry—it’s not as scary as it sounds. Let’s break it down step by step.

✅ What Is Algebra?

Algebra helps you solve problems by using letters (like x or y) to stand in for unknown numbers.

Instead of writing:

“Some number plus 5 equals 10”
You write: x + 5 = 10

Here, x is the unknown number you want to find.

📌 Key Terms in Algebra

Term	Meaning
Variable	A letter that stands for a number (like x, y, or z)
Equation	A math sentence with an equals sign (=)
Expression	A math phrase without an equals sign (like 2x + 3)
Solve	Find out what number the variable stands for
Constant	A fixed number that doesn’t change (like 4, 10, or -3)

🧠 Basic Rules of Algebra

You can do the same thing to both sides of an equation
Example:
x + 3 = 7
Subtract 3 from both sides:
x = 4
Keep the equals sign balanced
Like a scale! Whatever you do on one side, do on the other.
Combine like terms
If you have 2x + 3x, that becomes 5x.

✏️ Examples of Basic Algebra Problems

🔹 Example 1:

x + 5 = 12
Subtract 5 from both sides:
x = 7

🔹 Example 2:

2x = 10
Divide both sides by 2:
x = 5

🔹 Example 3:

3x + 2 = 11
Step 1: Subtract 2 from both sides → 3x = 9
Step 2: Divide by 3 → x = 3

🎯 Quick Tips to Remember

Letters are just numbers waiting to be found!
Always keep your equation balanced.
Practice with real-life examples (like money or puzzles).

🧩 Fun Real-Life Example

You bought 3 t-shirts and spent $30. Each shirt costs the same.
Let x = the price of one shirt
Equation: 3x = 30
Solution: x = 10
So each shirt costs $10.