1. Algebra

2. Algebra is a part of mathematics that uses
letters or symbols to represent changing or
unknown values.

3. Variable
Variable
a letter used to represent a value that can change or vary
in 4x – 1, the letter x is a variable
Identify the variable:
2x 3y -2x2 6a

4. Term Term a number and a variable together or just a number
Examples: 4x y 17w v
Give three other examples of a term

5. Numerical Coefficient
The number in front of the variable.
If no number is visible it is assumed to be 1.
Examples: 5x has a numerical coefficient of 5
-3xyz has a numerical coefficient of -3
z has a numerical coefficient of 1.
What is the numerical coefficient of:
2y -63f w -t

6. Literal Coefficient Literal Coefficient
The non-numeric factor of a term
Examples: in 4x the literal coefficient is x
in 3x2, the literal coefficient is x2
What is the literal coefficient of:
3y -8u 6ab 7x2y3z4

7. Expression Expression
Numbers and variables (terms), combined by operations
Examples: 2x + 3 two terms
x - y + z three terms
x - yz two terms
How many terms are in the following?
3x x – 5t + 2 6d – 7x2 + 3

8. Alge-Tiles -1
x x
x x2

9. We can represent a term or an expression
by drawing the number of tiles the term or
expression indicates:
3x means 3 groups of x
2x2 means 2 x2 tiles

10. -4 means 4 negative ones
5x + 2
3x2 – 6x + 3

11. Making Zero
Similar to integers, the positive and negative Alge-Tiles combine to “make zero”.
Examples:

12. What expressions are represented by the following groups of tiles?1) 2) 3)

13. 4) 5) 6) 7)

14. 8) 9)
10)
11)

15. Draw tiles to represent the following expressions:
5x ) -6x – 4
3) 4x2 – 3x ) -7x2 + 5x – 6
5) -2x2 – 3x – ) 8x2 – 6x + 9
7) -3x + 4x 8) -5x + 12x
9) 10x2 + 6x2 10) 5x + 3x
11) -3x2 + 4x2 12) -3x – 5x

16. 5x ) -6x – 4
3) 4x2 – 3x ) -7x2 + 5x – 6
5) -2x2 – 3x – ) 8x2 – 6x + 9

17. 7) -3x + 4x 8) -5x + 12x
9) 10x2 + 6x2 10) 5x + 3x
11) -3x2 + 4x2 12) -3x – 5x