Quadratic Functions: Background You’ll Need 1

  • Simplify and calculate an algebraic equation

An algebraic expression is a collection of constants and variables joined together by the algebraic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. For example, [latex]3x + 2y - 7[/latex] is an algebraic expression that contains two variables [latex]x[/latex] and [latex]y[/latex] and three constants [latex]3[/latex], [latex]2[/latex], and [latex]7[/latex].

constant, variable, algebraic expression

  • A constant is a fixed value or a number that does not change in a particular context.
  • A variable is a symbol that represents a value or quantity that can change or vary in a given situation or context.
  • An algebraic expression is a mathematical phrase or combination of numbers, variables, and arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Any variable in an algebraic expression may take on or be assigned different values. When that happens, the value of the algebraic expression changes. To evaluate an algebraic expression means to determine the value of the expression for a given value of each variable in the expression.

How To: Evaluate Algebraic ExpressionsUse the following steps to evaluate an algebraic expression:

  1. Replace each variable in the expression with the given value
  2. Simplify the resulting expression using the order of operations

Note: If the algebraic expression contains more than one variable, replace each variable with its assigned value and simplify the expression as before.

Evaluate each expression for the given values.

  1. [latex]x+5[/latex] for [latex]x=-5[/latex]
  2. [latex]\frac{t}{2t - 1}[/latex] for [latex]t=10[/latex]
  3. [latex]\dfrac{4}{3}\pi {r}^{3}[/latex] for [latex]r=5[/latex]
  4. [latex]a+ab+b[/latex] for [latex]a=11,b=-8[/latex]
  5. [latex]\sqrt{2{m}^{3}{n}^{2}}[/latex] for [latex]m=2,n=3[/latex]

Formulas

An equation is a mathematical statement indicating that two expressions are equal. The expressions can be numerical or algebraic. The equation is not inherently true or false, but only a proposition. The values that make the equation true, the solutions, are found using the properties of real numbers and other results. For example, the equation [latex]2x+1=7[/latex] has the unique solution [latex]x=3[/latex] because when we substitute [latex]3[/latex] for [latex]x[/latex] in the equation, we obtain the true statement [latex]2\left(3\right)+1=7[/latex].

A formula is an equation expressing a relationship between constant and variable quantities. Very often the equation is a means of finding the value of one quantity (often a single variable) in terms of another or other quantities. One of the most common examples is the formula for finding the area [latex]A[/latex] of a circle in terms of the radius [latex]r[/latex] of the circle: [latex]A=\pi {r}^{2}[/latex]. For any value of [latex]r[/latex], the area [latex]A[/latex] can be found by evaluating the expression [latex]\pi {r}^{2}[/latex].

Equations and formulas

  • An equation is a mathematical statement that shows the equality of two expressions, typically separated by an equal sign. It states that the two expressions have the same value, and the values of variables that make the equation true are called solutions.
  • A formula is a mathematical expression that represents a relationship or a rule between variables or quantities. It usually contains variables, constants, and arithmetic operations, and is used to calculate or derive a particular result or value.
A right circular cylinder with radius [latex]r[/latex] and height [latex]h[/latex] has the surface area [latex]S[/latex] (in square units) given by the formula [latex]S=2\pi r\left(r+h\right)[/latex].
[latex]\\[/latex]
Find the surface area of a cylinder with radius [latex]6[/latex] in. and height [latex]9[/latex] in. Leave the answer in terms of [latex]\pi[/latex].

A right circular cylinder with an arrow extending from the center of the top circle outward to the edge, labeled: r. Another arrow beside the image going from top to bottom, labeled: h.
Right circular cylinder

An art frame with a piece of artwork in the center. The frame has a width of 8 centimeters. The artwork itself has a length of 32 centimeters and a width of 24 centimeters.

A photograph with length [latex]L[/latex] and width [latex]W[/latex] is placed in a mat of width [latex]8[/latex] centimeters (cm). The area of the mat (in square centimeters, or cm[latex]2[/latex]) is found to be [latex]A=\left(L+16\right)\left(W+16\right)-L\cdot W[/latex]. Find the area of a mat for a photograph with length [latex]32[/latex] cm and width [latex]24[/latex] cm.

Simplify Algebraic Expressions

Sometimes we can simplify an algebraic expression to make it easier to evaluate or to use in some other way. To do so, we use the properties of real numbers. We can use the same properties in formulas because they contain algebraic expressions.

Simplify the following algebraic expressions:

  1. [latex]3x - 2y+x - 3y - 7[/latex]
  2. [latex]2r - 5\left(3-r\right)+4[/latex]
  3. [latex]\left(4t-\dfrac{5}{4}s\right)-\left(\dfrac{2}{3}t+2s\right)[/latex]
  4. [latex]2mn - 5m+3mn+n[/latex]