Introduction to Language of Algebra Section 2.1

We live in a symphony of Algebra that we seldom notice unless something falls out of tune. Any product
or service that we expect to be consistent, accurate or predictable requires algebra at some point. Banking, food production, delivery logistics, electricity metering, auto manufacturing and construction, just to name a few. The list is endless.

So let’s just say that if we expect a product or service to be consistent, accurate or predictable – algebra is involved.

In the real world, we don’t usually see people solving these Algebra problems. In fact, it may seem like
Algebra isn’t useful at all, that is until you learn where to look. Algebra has its own language and often
that’s where students lose sight of it. The power of Algebra comes from translating everyday problems
into mathematical models that we can evaluate and use to bring products and services into our lives.

✓ How far will your car travel on one tank of gas?
✓ What is the correct ratio of blue to red that will make every purple Crayola uniform?
✓ How does Pepsi manage to make every bottle taste the same?
✓ How much leather is required to produce 1000 units of Nikes?
✓ I want to build a 500sqft deck, how much wood will I need?
✓ How many hours do I need to work to earn $300?
✓ How much money does a small company need to generate to retain its 5 employees?
✓ How many vials of a medicine must be produced daily to supply 50,000 patients by a certain
date?

Each of these questions can be translated into an algebra problem to yield accurate and consistent
results. While a “good guess” may suffice in a small group situation, in the manufacturing or production of
anything on a large-scale, algebra becomes a valuable tool.

Unfortunately, in class students are often left bewildered trying to make the connection between the math
formula and the words used to create the formula. This chapter from Prealgebra 2e titled The Language of
Algebra, gives students and parents a great jumpstart toward understanding the language that they’ll soon
see in class. A little jumpstart now will help build the confidence necessary to keep them from falling behind later.