ALGEBRAIC FORMS

KEY TERMS: 1.variable 2.algebraic form 3.like terms 4.coefficient 5.factor

AFTER STUDYING THIS LESSON, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO DESCRIBE THE NOTIONS OF TERMS, FACTOR AND LIKE TERMS OF ALGEBRAIC FORM

REMEMBER : 3X1 IT MEANS 1+1+1 3X2 IT MEANS 2+2+2

One of the numbers can be replaced by any symbol representing an integer, for instance ‘a’ .

Therefore we have: 2 x a or written as 2a and 2a = a + a 3 x a or written as 3a and 3a = a + a + a

THE SYMBOL ‘A’ IN 2A,3A OR A2

IS CALLED VARIABLE

2a, 3a or a2 called algebraic forms

Number 2 in 2a is called coefficient In whole numbers , 6a can be written: 1 x 6a 2 x 3a 3 x 2a 6 x a So,1,2,3.6,a,2a,3a and 6a are called

the factor of 6a

LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING ALGEBRAIC FORM WITH VARIABLE A

5a3 + 4a2 - a2 + 9a + 6In such an algebraic form,5a3,4a2,-a2,9a and 6respectively are called terms.Thus this algebraic form has 5 terms. This

algebraic form is called polynomial.In 5a3 ,5 is called the coefficient of a a is called a variable 3 is called the power or exponent of

a.

4A2 AND –A2, THE POWER OF A IN BOTH TERMS ARE EQUALS,THAT IS 2. SUCH TERMS ARE CALLED LIKE TERMS

Like terms contain the same variable and have the same power.

When an algebraic form has like terms, such terms can be simplified by adding or subtracting.

EXERCISES : 1.Express to simplest form a). x + x + x + x = b). y + y + y + y + y + y =

2.Simplify the following algebraic form a).3a2 + 4a2 = b). -6x2 + 2x + 10x2 -5x =

HAVE A GOOD PRACTICE…..

Inch by inch math is cinch, but yard by

yard that’s so very Hard

Don’t be afraid to

make mistakes