Algebra

[christy053]

My son who is in year 8 needs help with his algebra hoewrok he has to write theese as simply as possibly ! ill write som examples please could you explain the answer .
3n X m
3b X 2a
6 X 2a
7aXbX3c
16y divided by 2Y
thnaks jill

[tomd]

These could be written in their simplest form as:

3nm

6ab

12a

21abc

8

There is no need for brakets unless the order of working is important, and multiplication can be done either way round.

[bongerman]

As a maths teacher who has just taught this I'm wondering if your son is in my class - in which case he gets a gold star for a mum with initiative!

Do the number bits first and then the letters - if you want to be perfect put the letters in alphabetical order. You would never have a multiplication sign in the answer as it looks like the letter x. No brackets are required for the questions you've given.

Basically the only change to tomd's answers above would be to write 3mn instead of 3nm but really that's me just being picky - I'd like to think his maths teacher would mark 3nm as correct.

Good luck!

[Gnisy]

Just wondering if the last question is a typo. If it is 16y and 2Y then retain both 'y's in their respective cases as in (8y)/Y. * The bracket is not needed, it's just to make it look clearer to you.

if both are lower case then the answer is 8 since the y's cross each other out.

Always do powered brackets first e.g: (3a)^3,
Then do the numbers..
Then only group the letters together, preferably in alphabetical order.

Algebra is always hardest in the beginning but later on you will find it the easiest to deal with.

[tomd]

In the moment I actually thought n came before m - A Level further maths, but it looks like English isn't my strong point.