Forming an algebraic equation is like creating a simple math recipe to solve a problem. Here’s how you can do it step-by-step in a way that children can understand:

Step 1: Understand the Problem

Read or listen to the problem carefully. Identify what you need to find (the unknown) and what information you already have.

Step 2: Identify the Unknown with a Variable

Choose a letter to represent the unknown quantity. Common choices are x or y. This letter is called a variable.

Step 3: Translate the Words into Math

Change the words of the problem into a math equation using numbers, variables, and operations like addition (+), subtraction (-), multiplication (×), and division (÷).

Example Problems

Example 1: Find the Total Number of Apples

Problem: You have 3 apples and you buy some more apples. Now you have a total of 8 apples. How many apples did you buy?

  1. Understand the Problem: You start with 3 apples and end up with 8 apples. You need to find out how many apples you bought.
  2. Identify the Unknown: Let’s use x to represent the number of apples you bought.
  3. Translate to Math: You started with 3 apples, bought x apples, and now have 8 apples.
    • Equation: 3 + x = 8

Example 2: Find the Number of Dogs

Problem: There are 5 more dogs than cats in the park. If there are 12 cats, how many dogs are there?

  1. Understand the Problem: There are 12 cats, and the number of dogs is 5 more than the number of cats.
  2. Identify the Unknown: Let’s use dd to represent the number of dogs.
  3. Translate to Math: The number of dogs is the number of cats plus 5.
    • Equation: d = 12 + 5

Example 3: Sharing Candies Equally

Problem: You have 20 candies, and you want to share them equally among 4 friends. How many candies will each friend get?

  1. Understand the Problem: You have 20 candies and 4 friends. You need to find out how many candies each friend gets.
  2. Identify the Unknown: Let’s use c to represent the number of candies each friend gets.
  3. Translate to Math: The total number of candies divided by the number of friends will give the number of candies each friend gets.
    • Equation: c =  

Practice Problems

Let’s practice forming equations with some more examples:

  1. Problem: Sarah has 10 marbles, which is 2 more than John has. How many marbles does John have?
    • Identify the unknown: Let x be the number of marbles John has.
    • Equation: x + 2 = 10

 

  1. Problem: A pencil costs £1. You buy some pencils and spend £5. How many pencils did you buy?
    • Identify the unknown: Let p be the number of pencils you bought.
    • Equation: p × 1 = 5 or simply p = 5

 

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