1. The Values of the Algebra Tiles The Constant X Anything red is a negative Now, Show me if you’re with me.

2. Describing the Additive Inverse If you have a positive and a negative of the same values, they cancel, or zero each other out. EX: = Zeroes out = Not zero Show me if you follow now.

3. Next were going to work on the following problems 2x+4=8 2(3x+1)=8 2x-6=x+1

4. Lets start with 2x+4=8 It also looks like this. Now, first your going to want to get rid of the constant that is on the same side as the variable. So you have to add a –4.

5. Now your equation box should look something like this. But now your equation is uneven, because what you do to one side, you must do the same thing to the other side. So, add a negative 4 to the other side.

6. Now, you need to divide the 2x into two different groups. Then you divide your constants into the two groups. So, X equals 2 Thumbs up if you follow.

7. Now, lets do the problem, 2x-6=x+1. This problem is different because it has an x on both sides. So, first we have to get rid of the x value on the right side, so add a neg. X to that side. Oh no, Scale Man Jason is Lop-sided. Ah. So add the negative 6 to the other side.

8. Now, if you think that the new equation would look like this. You would be completely off and you should start over.

9. It would actually look something like this. Now, you have to get rid of the constant on the left side. So add a positive 6 to the negative 6 to zero it out.

10. Oh no, Scale man Jason is lopsided again. So do the same to the other side, add positive 6.

11. The Scale Man now becomes Level, or equal!

12. So, now you have this equation So, X=7

13. Our final problem to solve is this one : 2(3x+1)= 8 What’s that you says, sounds like fun,well let’s get started then. It is set up like this to show you that there are two groups of 2x+1. Instead of using the tiles for this problem, we’re going to use the distributive property. Yeeeaaaaaaaaah.

14. Multiply 2 into 3x and then multiply 2 into 1 So, now you have 6x+2= 8 Now it is a lot easier to use the algebra tiles because we just simplified the equation.

15. First, you must get rid of the 2, so add a negative two to the right side. But remember, what you do to one side, you must do to the other. So add a negative 2 to the 8 on the left side. Now you have the equation 6x= 6. Now divide both sides by 6, that cancels the 6x out and 6 divided by 6 equals 1. There for X=1.