6

Module
70

MATH
VARIABLES AND EXPRESSIONS

Numbers, symbols
What do you and letters like 5n,
think we’ll study x+2y, m+5 + 6 =
in Algebra? 11

A DepEd-BEAM Distance Learning Program supported by the Australian Agency for International Development
 To the Learner

Good day my dear learner! How did you find the previous
lesson? Hope you had spent great time and enjoyed doing the
exercises. Today, you will take up another lesson in Algebra which is
quite new to you, but I know you can easily understand, if you will
just take time to study and answer the given exercises.

Let’s Learn This

This learning module deals with “Variables and Expressions”,

an introduction to algebraic expressions. This will be a good
beginning to understand the use of variables, algebraic expressions
and formulas in preparation fore the higher learning in Mathematics.
So, as you walk through the exercises and activities, it is
expected that you will be able to:

Give the meaning of variables and algebraic expressions

Write an algebraic expression in simplified form

Evaluate expression with the given value of variable

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 Let’s Try This

A. Write the following algebraic expressions without using the

multiplication signs.

Example: a.) 5 x b = 5b b.) 6 x (c+7) = 6(c+7)

1. 7 x a = ________________________
2. X x 10 = _______________________
3. 5 x (a+2) = ____________________
4. 4 x a + 5 x b = _________________
5. 1 x n – 10 = ___________________
6. 5 + 2 x c = _____________________

B. Write the following algebraic expressions as fractions.

2b
Example: 2b ÷ 3 =
3
7. x ÷ 2 = ____________
8. a ÷ b = _____________
9. 7a ÷ 8b = ___________
10. 3x ÷ 5 = ___________

C. Complete the table using the given rule.

RULE: y = 4x
Example: by substitution, the value of x=8, so y=4(8) = 32.

X 0 2 3 5 1 8 7
Y 12 4 32

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 Let’s Study This

Variables and Expressions

Numbers, symbols
What do you and letters like 5n,
think we’ll study x+2y, m+5 + 6 =
in Algebra? 11

What number when added to 7 will give 63?

The question asks for a missing number, which maybe

represented by a letter or symbol. When we represent a missing
number by a letter or symbol, we are using a variable.
There are different symbols to represent a missing number to
be added to seven. We may write n+7 or +7. The symbol n or
signify an unknown number and are called variables.
A variable is a letter or a symbol that stands for a number. We
may use any letter like a, b, c or x, y, z. We frequently use letter x
and n also.

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 We can algebraically represent the expression “3 times a
number”. We may write 3*a or 3n, 3*a or 3a, 3&b or 3b, 3 *x or 3x
etc. We use the operation symbol “raised dot” to avoid confusing
multiplication with variable X.
3n, 3a, 3b or 3x are examples of algebraic expressions.
Individual letters such as n, x, p, r etc. are also expressions. Other
examples of algebraic expressions are:
4xy, 5n, 8y+z, a+b, 5n-3xy, a+b+c, 9x+3y

Notice that the basic operation symbols are also part of an

algebraic expression.
Here are some examples of expressions using variables.
• 3 x a is written as 3a, and a x b is written as ab
• X ÷ 5 is written as X , and a÷b is written as a .
5 b
• y + y + y + y is 4 groups of y or 4y.
3a
• 2 x m = 2m, y x 6 = 6 x y = 6y, 3a ÷ 4 = ,5 xaxb=
4
5ab.

When a numeral is multiplied by a variable, the numeral should

be written first. Like for example: c x 3 =3c, xyz x 6 = 6xyz.
Try to look at how expressions are simplified.

a. 5 x k =5k d. 3 x X x Y = 3xy

a 5b
b. a ÷ 7 = e. 5 x b ÷ 8 = 8
7

c. a x b x a = a²b f. (c x d) ÷ (e x f) = cd
ef

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 If we give a value to the variable, we can evaluate an algebraic
expression. Let’s evaluate 2a + 3b, if a = 5 and b =8.

2a means 2 times a and we write: 2*a or 2 (a)

3b means 3 times b and we write: 3*b or 3(b)
To evaluate 2a + 3b, given a=5 and b=8, we may do this:
2a + 3b = 2(5) + 3(8) = + 24 = 34
Notice that we get a number when we evaluate an expression.
We also need to follow the rule of operations. That is, starting from
left to right, multiply or divide first before adding or subtracting.
Study this example: evaluate the expression, 5x + 3.2x – 5,
given x = 4.
5x + 3.2x – 5 = 5(4) + 6x – 5 = 20 + 6(4) – 5 =20 + 24 – 5 = 39
Substitute the value of X and multiply, before adding and
subtracting to get the answer of 39.

Let’s Do This

A. Use variable X to write an algebraic expression for each item.

1. a number subtracted from 20 __________________

2. twice a number added to 32 ___________________
3. 91 more than a number _______________________
4. 87 less than a number _________________________
5. a number times the difference of 12 and 9 ________________

B. Simplify the following algebraic expressions.

6. 9 x z = _________________ 11. 5 x 2 x q = _______________
7. m x 12 = _______________ 12. 4 x 2b = _________________

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8. 15 x a x b = _____________ 13. m x 1 x n = ______________
9. n x 3 = __________________ 14. X x Y x Z = _______________
10. 4 x m x n = ______________ 15. 8 x 7 x y = _______________

Let’s Do More

A. Rewrite the following algebraic expressions in shortened form.

Example: 2 x p x (q – 1) = 2p (q-1)
1. 4 x (3 x a + 1) _____________________
2. 5 x 3 x (a-3) _______________________
3. 6 x (1+2xy) ________________________
4. 3 (5xy – 2yz) _______________________
5. 7 x c x (b-4) ________________________

B. Evaluate each expression, given x = 2 and y = 3.

6. 2x + 4y = 2(2) + 4(3) = 4 + 12 = 16
7. 12y + 3x = ________________________
8. 5x * 2y = _________________________
9. 8x – 3y = _________________________
10. 7x – 4y + 6xy = __________________________

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 Let’s Remember This

A variable is a letter or a symbol that stands for a

number.
An algebraic expression is either a variable by itself
or with a number. It may include the operation between
variables or between variables and numbers.

Let’s Test Ourselves

A. Write an algebraic expression for each item. Use X for the

variable.
1. a number added to 15 _______________________
2. thrice the number subtracted from 25 _____________________
3. 5 more than twice a number _____________________
4. 8 less than 5 times the number ____________________
5. a number times the sum of the number and 4
___________________________

B. Evaluate each expression, given x = 4 and y = 5.

6. x + 6y = ___________________________
7. 3x + 4y = _________________________
8. 6y – 5x = __________________________
9. 5x + 4 – 2y = ______________________
10. 9y – 25 + 3x = _____________________

Let’s Consider This

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 If your score is 7-10, very good!! You can proceed to the next
module.
 If you got only 5-6, answer the next exercises.
 If your score is below 4, review the whole module.

Let’s Enrich
Ourselves

A. Write each of the following algebraic expressions in its

simplest form.

1. 3 x 2m = _____________________
2. 59 x 3 = ______________________
3. 4 x 2a x b = _____________________
4. 6 x 3c x 10 = _____________________
5. 6 x 5 x b = _______________________

B. Compute the table using the given rule. Y = 2x - 3

X 9 4 2 3 5 7 10 8
Y 3 13

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 Answer Key

Let’s Try This Let’s Do More

A. A.
1.
7a 1. 4 (3a+1)
2.
10x 2. 15 (a-3)
3.
5(a + 2) 3. 6 (3y)
4.
4a + 5b 4. 3 (5y-2z)
5.
n – 10 5. 7c (b-4)
6.
5 + 2c B.
B. x 7a 6. 2(2) + 4(3) = 4+12 = 16
7. 2 9. 8b 7. 12(3) + 3(2) = 36+6 = 42
a 8. 5(2) * 2(3) = 10*6 = 60
8. b 10. 3x 9. 8(2) – 3(3) = 16-9 = 7
5 10. 7(2) – 4(3) + 6(2)(3) = 14-
C. y = 4x 12+36=38

X 0 2 3 5 1 8 7
Let’s Test Ourselves
Y 0 8 12 20 4 32 28
A.
1. x + 15
2. 25 – 3x
Let’s Do This 3. 2x + 5
A. 4. 5x - 8
1. 20 - x 5. x (x+4)
2. 2x + 32 B.
3. 91 + x or x + 91 6.4+6(5) = 4+30 = 34
4. x - 87 7.3(4) + 4(5) = 12+20 = 32
5. x (12-9) 8.6(5) – 5(4) = 30-20 = 10
B. 9.5(4)+4–2(5) = 20+4-10
6. 92 =14
7. 12m 10. 9(5)-25+3(4) = 45-
8. 15ab 25+12 = 32
9. 3n
10. 4mn Let’s Enrich Ourselves
11. 10q A.
12. 8b 1. 6m
13. 1mn 2. 15a
14. xyz 3. 8ab
15. 56y 4. 180c
5. 30b

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B.
Rule y = 2x – 3

X 9 4 2 3 5 7 10 8
Y 15 5 1 3 7 11 17 13

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