How Do You Write and Solve an Equation From a Word Problem?

How Do You Write and Solve an Equation From a Word Problem?

Note:

Word problems are just math in disguise! Follow along with this tutorial to get some practice translating a word problem into a mathematical equation. Then, see how to solve that equation and answer the word problem!

Keywords:

  • word problem
  • variable
  • variables
  • solve
  • equation
  • write equation
  • solve variable
  • define variables

Background Tutorials

  • Understand the concept of a unit rate a/b associated with a ratio a:b with b ≠ 0, and use rate language in the context of a ratio relationship.

      • What are Rates and Unit Rates?What are Rates and Unit Rates?

      What are Rates and Unit Rates?

      Can you do 100 sit-ups in 2 minutes? That's a rate! Driving a car going 40 miles per hour? That's a unit rate! Watch this tutorial to learn about rate and unit rate (and the difference!).

  • Evaluate expressions at specific values of their variables. Include expressions that arise from formulas used in real-world problems. Perform arithmetic operations, including those involving whole-number exponents, in the conventional order when there are no parentheses to specify a particular order (Order of Operations).

      • What is a Variable?What is a Variable?

      What is a Variable?

      You can't do algebra without working with variables, but variables can be confusing. If you've ever wondered what variables are, then this tutorial is for you!

      • What's the Order of Operations?What's the Order of Operations?

      What's the Order of Operations?

      Check out this tutorial where you'll see exactly what order you need to follow when you simplify expressions. You'll also see what happens when you don't follow these rules, and you'll find out why order of operations is so important!

  • Use variables to represent numbers and write expressions when solving a real-world or mathematical problem; understand that a variable can represent an unknown number, or, depending on the purpose at hand, any number in a specified set.

      • How Do You Write an Equation From a Word Problem?How Do You Write an Equation From a Word Problem?

      How Do You Write an Equation From a Word Problem?

      One of the challenges of solving a word problem is first turning those words into a math equation you can then use to solve. This tutorial takes you through a word problem and shows you how to translate it into a useable math equation!

Further Exploration

  • Solve real-world and mathematical problems by writing and solving equations of the form x + p = q and px = q for cases in which p, q and x are all nonnegative rational numbers.