Math Café: How to Learn the Art of Writing and Solving Two-variable Equations

1. Our Today’s Special: Two-variable Equations

Two-variable equations are our math dish for the day. They’re equations that involve two different variables (like ‘$x$’ and ‘$y$’). An example of a two-variable equation is $y = 2x + 3$.

2. The Recipe: Writing and Solving

Our recipe involves two main steps: writing the equation and then solving it. It’s like baking a cake: first, we mix our ingredients (write the equation), and then we bake it to perfection (solve the equation).

Your Personal Chef Guide: How to Write and Solve Two-variable Equations

Let’s get cooking:

Step 1: Writing the Equation

This is where we translate a word problem or a real-life scenario into a two-variable equation. Look for the relationships and patterns that link the variables together.

Step 2: Solving the Equation

Now, we use algebraic methods to solve the equation for one of the variables. The solution will be in terms of the other variable.

Consider this problem: “If twice a number, increased by $3$, equals that number plus $10$. What is the number?”

1. Writing the Equation: “Twice a number” suggests $2x$, “increased by $3$” suggests $+\ 3$, “equals to that number plus $10$” gives us $= x + 10$. This translates into the equation $2x + 3 = x + 10$.
2. Solving the Equation: Subtract x from both sides to get $x + 3 = 10$. Then, subtract $3$ from both sides to solve for $x$, giving us $x = 7$.

That’s it for today’s special at the Math Café! Writing and solving two-variable equations can be a piece of cake with enough practice. So, keep working on your math recipes and before you know it, you’ll be a math gourmet. Stay curious, keep learning, and see you at our next math café gathering!