Topic: Linear Equations and Inequalities
Subtopic: Formulas - Elementary
Overview
Examples of "formulas" that you have likely seen are a2+b2=c2, D=RT, A=½bh, etc. Today's material concentrates on evaluating such formulas for given values of the variables. Watch your units when you are evaluating! We also learn to rearrange the formulas by solving for a specific variable like rewriting A=½bh as h=2A/b. This will be useful when dealing with real-world applications.
Objectives
By the end of this topic you should know and be prepared to be tested on:
- 2.2.1 Evaluate formulas given specific input values
- 2.2.2 Solve formulas for a specific variable
Terminology
Define: formula, percent
Text Notes
Text:
Intro & Inter Algebra for CS 3ed by Blitzer, sect. 2.4
- pg 135-138 covers solving a formula for a specified variable. Be sure to try a variety.
- pg 136-137 includes the geometry formulas for the perimeter and area of a rectangle, but the text does not use these formulas in an application problem until the next section.
- pg 138-143 covers percents, the percent formula, and percent increase/decrease. Some of this material should be review from a pre-algebra course. But don't skim over it! There is a lot going on here and several new algebraic processes. Percent problems are some of the most useful real-life applications that we will cover.