Topic Name Description
Course Syllabus Page Course Syllabus
1.1: Variables, Constants, and Coefficients URL Identifying Variable Parts and Coefficients of Terms

Read these notes to get a handle on the definitions we'll be using and to see a few examples. After you read, complete a few practice problems and check your answers.

1.2: Replacing Variables with Their Values Page How to Write Multiplication in Algebra

Watch this video, which highlights some common ways to write multiplication in algebra. It also shows examples of how to substitute values in algebraic expressions.

URL Practice Evaluating Expressions in One Variable

After you watch, complete these assessments that involve substituting values into algebraic expressions with variables. If you need help, use the review tools at the bottom of the page.

URL Practice Evaluating Expressions in Two Variables

Continue with this second set of assessments. If you need help, use the review tools at the bottom of the page.

1.3: Order of Operations Review Page Order of Operations

Watch this video to review the rules for order of operations. Many use the acronym PEMDAS to remember the order of operations: parentheses, exponents, multiplication and division, addition and subtraction.

URL Practice Using PEMDAS

Try each of the examples on this worksheet without looking at the solution. Then, check your answers. If you need more practice, you can do the review problems that follow the examples.

1.4: Commutative Property of Addition and Multiplication Page Commutative Laws of Addition and Multiplication

Watch these videos for examples of how to apply these laws in arithmetic.

1.5: Associative Property of Addition and Multiplication Page Associative Laws of Addition and Multiplication

Watch these videos for examples of how to use this property in arithmetic.

1.6: Distributive Property of Multiplication over Addition/Subtraction Page Distributive Property of Multiplication over Addition

Watch this video for examples of how to use this property in arithmetic.

1.7: Definition and Examples of Like Terms URL Like Terms

Review this brief definition and examples in this encyclopedia entry.

1.8: Simplifying Expressions by Combining Like Terms Page Combining Like Terms
Watch these videos to see examples of how to combine like terms to simplify algebraic expressions.
URL Practice Combining Like Terms with Negative Coefficients

After you watch, complete this first set of assessments. If you need help, use the review tools at the bottom of the page.

URL Practice Combining Like Terms with Negative Coefficients and Distribution

Continue with this second set of assessments. If you need help, use the review tools at the bottom of the page.

2.1: Definition of an Equation and a Solution of an Equation URL Solving Linear Equations with One Variable

Read the "Define Linear Equations in One Variable" and "Solutions to Linear Equations in One Variable" sections. Then, complete exercises 1 to 5 and check your answers.

2.2: Addition/Subtraction Property of Equations URL The Subtraction and Addition Properties of Equality

Read up to the "Solve Equations that Require Simplification" section. Pay attention to the "Solve Equations Using the Subtraction and Addition Properties of Equality" section, which gives a good example of how the two sides of an equation must be equal. After you read, complete examples 2.2 through 2.5 and check your answers.

2.3: Multiplication/Division Property of Equations URL The Division and Multiplication Properties of Equality

Read up to the "Sole Equations that Require Simplification" section. Complete examples 2.13 to 2.17.

2.4: Equations of the Form x + a = b and xa = b Page Adding and Subtracting the Same Thing to Both Sides

Watch this video for examples of these types of equations.

URL Practice Solving One-Step Equations

After you watch, complete this assessment to test yourself.

2.5: Equations of the Form ax = b and x/a = b Page Algebraic Equations with Multiplication and Division
Watch these videos for a few examples of how to solve algebraic equations involving multiplication and division. Pay attention to the problem-solving steps for fractional coefficients in the third video. Instead of dividing both sides by the fraction, you can multiply both sides of the equation by the reciprocal of the fraction. It is often easier to multiply fractions rather than dividing them, so this trick can be useful.
URL Practice One-Step Equations with Multiplication and Division

After you watch, complete this assessment and check your answers.

2.6: Equations of the Form ax + b = c Page Solving More Complicated Equations

Watch this video for examples of how to solve these types of problems in a two-step process.

URL Practice Solving Two-Step Equations

After you watch, complete this assessment and check your answers.

2.7: Equations of the Form ax + b = cx + d Page Equations with Variables on Both Sides

Watch these videos to see examples of how we use like terms to solve these types of equations.

URL Practice Solving Equations with Variables on Both Sides

After you watch, complete this assessment and check your answers.

2.8: Equations with Parentheses Page Solving Equations with the Distributive Property

Watch these videos to see examples of how this type of equation can be solved.

URL Practice Solving Multistep Equations with Distribution

After you watch, complete this assessment and check your answers.

2.9: Solving Literal Equation for One of the Variables URL Solving Linear Equations with One Variable

Read the section on linear literal equations. Be sure to go through the examples in detail. After read, complete the exercises for literal equations and check your answers.

Page Solving for One Variable

We can apply these concepts to known formulas, such as formulas for area of a shape or rates.

Watch these videos for real examples of using formulas. In the first video, the formula for perimeter of a rectangle is solved for the width. In the second, a formula is used to convert between Fahrenheit and Celsius.

3.1: Mathematical Symbols and Expressions for Common Words and Phrases URL Translating Words into Mathematical Symbols

Read this page. Pay close attention to the mathematical dictionary table. It may be helpful to copy this table so you can use it as a reference as you become more comfortable working with word problems.

Read through sample sets A and B to see how the word problems are translated into equations. After you read, complete practice sets A and B and check your answers.

3.2: Translating Verbal Expression into Mathematical Equations Page Writing Algebraic Equations

Watch these videos which provide step-by-step examples of how to translate word problems into equations we can solve.

3.3: Number Problems URL Solving Algebraic Expressions and Equations Part I

Read the five step method section, which outlines a way to organize your thinking and solve number problems. Note the five steps that set up the equation for a word problem. Then, read the first two examples in sample set A. These examples show how to use the five step method to set up and solve number problems. Finally, do the first two problems in practice set A and check your answers.

3.4: Consecutive Integer Problems Page Adding Consecutive and Odd Integers

Watch these videos. The first shows word problems involving consecutive integers. The second shows a more challenging problem involving the sum of odd integers. When summing odd integers, the equation must be slightly altered.

URL Solving Algebraic Expressions and Equations Part II

Read the discussion on consecutive integers, which shows how to write consecutive integers or consecutive even or odd integers. After you read, complete questions 3 and 4 in practice set A and check your answers.

3.5: General Statement Problems Page Solving Linear Word Problems with Substitution

Watch this video for examples of these types of problems. Recall the five step method we discussed in section 3.3. When you solve these types of problems, the first key step is to identify the variable.

Page Simple Word Problems Resulting In Linear Equations

Read this article for another example of this type of a general statement problem. In this problem, it looks like there are two variables. However, we can relate the quantity of one variable to that of the other. This allows us to write the equation in terms of only one variable.

At the bottom of the page, try a few practice problems and check your answers. Try a couple of these until you feel comfortable writing and solving equations from general word problems.

3.6: Applying the Uniform Motion Equation URL Solving a Formula for a Specific Variable

Read the section on the distance, rate, and time formula. We use this equation for all uniform motion problems. Then, do examples 2.58 through 2.60 and check your answers. If you want more practice, you can try exercises 376 and 387.

3.7: Value Mixture Problems Page Mixture Problems

Watch this video for examples of how to express a mixture problem in an algebraic equation.

Page Solving Mixture Word Problems

Then, watch these videos to see more examples of how to write and solve these types of problems.

URL Practice Solving Mixture Word Problems

After you watch, complete examples 3.26 through 3.32 and check your answers.

URL Solving Percent Word Problems

Read this section for examples of how to calculate percent from fractions, and how to translate a percent word problems into equations. Pay attention to the formula for finding the percent of change, since we use this formula frequently to determine sale prices.

URL Practice Solving Percent Word Problems

After you read, complete this assessment and check your answers to practice solving problems with percents.

4.1: Definition and Notation of an Inequality URL Using the Language of Algebra

Read the section on inequalities, which shows the symbols used to denote greater than and less than. You must be able to quickly recognize these two symbols. Do example 1.12 and check your answer.

4.2: Graphing Inequalities on a Number Line Page Plotting Inequalities on a Number Line

Watch this video.

URL Introduction to Linear Inequalities

Read these notes for more examples of how to plot inequalities.

4.3: Solving One-Step Inequalities Page One-Step Inequalities

Watch this video for examples of how to work with inequalities.

Page One-Step Inequalities Word Problems

Then, watch this video to see examples of how inequalities are used in real world examples.

URL Practice Solving One-Step Inequalities

After you watch, complete this assessment and check your answers.

4.4: Solving Multi-Step Inequalities Page Multi-step Inequalities with Variables on Both Sides

Watch these three videos.

URL Practice Solving Multipstep Inequalities

After you watch, complete this assessment and check your answers.

5.1: Graphing Points in the Rectangular Coordinate Plane URL Points in the Coordinate Plane

Read this page and watch the videos in the text. Pay attention to the example near the end of the page and how the author identifies points that do not directly match up with the tick marks on the graph.

5.2: Ordered Pairs as Solutions of an Equation in Two Variables Page Ordered Pair Solutions to Equations

In this video, we see that if we graph an equation, the solutions must lie on the graph. This gives us an additional way to test if an ordered pair of numbers is a solution to an equation.

URL Practice Ordered Pair Solutions to Linear Equations

After you watch, complete this assessment and choose to solve the equations using algebra or graphs.

5.3: Graphing Equations in Two Variables of the Form Ax + By = C Page Graphing Linear Equations with Two Variables

Watch these videos, which explain how to manipulate an equation into a format that allows for graphing.

5.4: Intercepts of a Straight Line URL Graphs with Intercepts

Read this section to learn how to identify intercepts and how to use them in graphing and the general form of x- and y-intercepts.

After you read, complete examples 4.19 through 4.24.

5.5: Definition of Slope and Slope Formula URL Understanding the Slope of a Line

Read this section. Pay attention to the definition of slope and how we define positive and negative slope. Also, pay attention to the slope formula given toward the end of the page. The slope formula will allow you to calculate the slope of any given line.

After you read, complete examples 4.25, 4.26, and 4.29 through 4.37 and check your work.

5.6: Slopes of Parallel and Perpendicular Lines Page Parallel and Perpendicular Lines

Read this page to see the special relationship of the slopes of parallel and perpendicular lines. After you read, try a few practice problems.

5.7: Graphing Equations in Two Variables of the Form y = mx + b URL Using the Slope-Intercept Form of an Equation of a Line

Read up to the section on choosing the most convenient method to graph a line. The form y = mx + b is often called the slope-intercept form of a linear equation.

After you read, complete examples 4.40 through 4.46 and check your work.

5.8: Point-Slope Form URL Linear Equations in Point-Slope Form

Read this page, which describes writing and graphing equations in point-slope and shows how to convert from the point-slope form to slope-intercept form, which can often be more useful. Watch the videos for more examples.

After you read, complete review problems 3, 4, 7, 8, 14, and 15 and check your answers.

5.9: Graphing Linear Inequality of Two Variables on the Coordinate Plane URL Graphs of Linear Inequalities

Read this page, which reviews some calculations with inequalities and shows how we use shading on a graph to indicate inequality. Pay attention to the summary of graphing inequalities.

Complete examples 4.70 to 4.75 and check your answers.

6.1: Solution of a System of Linear Equations Page Checking Solutions for Systems of Linear Equations

Watch this video to see examples of how we apply algebra techniques to testing solutions to systems of equations.

6.2: Solving Systems of Linear Equations by Graphing URL Using Graphs to Solve Linear Equations

Read this page, starting at the section on solving a system of linear equations by graphing. After you read, complete examples 5.3 through 5.7 and check your answers. You should use graph paper for these examples, since you will need to identify the intersection point between two lines.

6.3: Solving Systems of Linear Equations Using the Substitution Method Page Using the Substitution Method

Watch this video to see examples of using the substitution method.

URL Practice Using the Substitution Method

After you watch, complete this assessment and check your answers.

6.4: Solving Systems of Linear Equations Using the Elimination Method Page The Elimination Method

Watch these videos for examples of how to solve systems of equations with the elimination method using a few different methods.

URL Practice Solving Linear Equations with Elimination

After you watch, complete this assessment and check your answers.

6.5: Choosing a Strategy for Solving Systems of Linear Equations URL Comparing Methods for Solving Linear Systems

Read this article and watch the videos. The beginning provides a nice summary of the main methods for solving systems of equations, and when you should use each one. The rest of the article offers a good overview of the different methods with a discussion of why each method was chosen for a given problem.

6.6: Solving Word Problems by Using Systems of Equations Page Coin and Mixture Problems

Watch this video for examples of common real-world word problems.

URL Solving Word Problems with Linear Systems

Read this article and watch the video. The article describes examples in which systems of equations can be used to solve real-world quantities. After you review, complete problems 1 to 4 and check your answers.

Book Solving Word Problems with Linear Systems

Read this article and watch the video. The article describes examples in which systems of equations can be used to solve real-world quantities. After you review, complete problems 1 to 4 and check your answers.

6.7: Graphing Systems of Linear Inequalities URL Graphing Systems of Linear Inequalities

Read this page until the section Solve Applications of Linear Inequalities. Pay attention to the steps needed to solve a system of linear inequalities.

After you read, complete examples 5.51 through 5.56 and check your answers.

6.8: Applications of Systems of Linear Inequalities URL Solving Applications of Linear Inequalities

Read the section on solving applications of linear inequalities. Review the examples to see how the authors use systems of linear inequalities to solve problems involving cost of objects and budgets.

URL Linear Programming

Linear programming uses a system of several linear inequalities to analyze a real-world situation. Linear programming takes a set of inequalities and determines the optimal or best solution for the given set of conditions. Read this article to learn about this application of linear inequalities.

7.1: Algebraic Exponential Expressions URL Exponential Expressions

Read this article through the section on the product of powers property. This page reviews writing and solving exponential expressions. Pay attention to how we multiply monomials with exponents, the products of powers property, and example 2.

After you read, complete questions 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 25, 26, 27 and 28 in the practice set and check your answers.

7.2: Manipulating Exponents URL Exponential Properties Involving Products

Read this article, which shows the rules for multiplying exponents, taking the power of an exponent, and taking the exponent of a product. It may help to write a list of these properties to keep track of them. Watch the video to see a few examples.

After you read, complete questions 2, 3, 6, 7, 14, 15, 25, 26, 33, and 34 in the practice set and check your answers.

7.3: Quotient of Exponents and Power of a Quotient URL Exponential Properties Involving Quotients

Read this article and pay attention to the quotient of powers property and the power of a quotient property in examples 1 and 2.

After you read, complete questions 1, 2, 5, 6, 12, and 13 in the practice set and check your answers.

7.4: Negative Exponents Page Negative Exponent Intuition

Watch these videos, which walk you through the logic of why negative exponents can be written as fractions.

URL Practice Solving Problems with Negative Exponents

After you watch, complete this assessment and check your answers.

7.5: Multiplying Monomials URL Multiplication Properties of Exponents

Read the section on multiplying monomials and the solution for example 6.26.

After you read, complete example 6.27 and check your answer.

7.6: Dividing Monomials URL Dividing Monomials

This article gives an excellent review of the properties of monomials and exponents, as well as how to divide monomials. Review the summary of exponent properties, which goes over everything we discussed in this unit.

After you read, complete examples 6.72 through 6.75 and check your work.

8.1: Classifying Polynomials Page Introduction to Polynomials

Watch this video to review the terminology we will use in this unit.

8.2: Adding and Subtracting Polynomials URL Adding and Subtracting Polynomials

Read this page, which reviews how to classify polynomials. Pay attention to the section on adding and subtracting polynomials. You can rearrange the order of terms in a polynomial to make addition or subtraction possible. Read example 6.7 and its solution to see an example of adding polynomials. 

After you review, complete examples 6.8 to 6.12 and check your work.

Page More on Adding and Subtracting Polynomials

Watch these videos for more examples of adding and subtracting polynomials.

8.3: Multiplying a Polynomial by a Monomial URL Multiplying Monomials by Polynomials

Read this article and watch the videos. It may be helpful to review the section on multiplying monomials. Then, focus on how to use the distributive property and the examples of using it.

After you review, complete review problems 6 to 11 and check your answers.

8.4: Multiplying Binomials (FOIL) Page Using the FOIL Technique to Multiply Binomials

Read this article, which gives many examples of using the FOIL technique to multiply two binomials. Then, try some practice problems.

Page Multiplying Binomials by a Binomial

Watch this video, which gives another example of using the FOIL technique.

8.5: Complete the Square and Difference of Two Squares Page Finding the Square of a Binomial with One Variable

Watch this video, which takes square of a binomial in two different ways: using the FOIL method and the quadratic formula. Both methods give the same answer.

URL Special Products of Polynomials

Read this article, which gives examples of squaring binomials and the general formulas that always work for them. Example 1 shows how to use the formula. Note the definitions of sum and difference, which are used when multiplying one addition binomial and one subtraction binomial. Example 2 shows how to use this definition.

After you read, complete questions 1 through 5 and 14 through 18 in the practice set and check your answers.

8.6: Multiplying Polynomials with Any Number of Terms Page Multiplying a Polynomial by a Binomial

Watch this video, which shows a method for ensuring that all terms in the polynomial (in this case a trinomial) are multiplied by both of the terms in the binomial using the distributive property.

URL Multiplying Polynomials

Read the section on multiplying a trinomial by a binomial. Review the solution to example 6.45 to see how the distributive property can be used to multiply.

After you read, complete exercises 267, 269, 271, and 273 and check your answers.

8.7: Dividing a Polynomial by a Monomial Page Dividing Polynomials with Monomials with Remainder

Watch this example of dividing a polynomial by a monomial. This video gives an example of the technique we use to divide.

URL Dividing Polynomials

Read the section on dividing a polynomial by a monomial. Review the solutions for examples 6.77 and 6.78, which show how to divide a polynomial by a number and by a monomial.

After you read, complete examples 6.79 to 6.83 and check your answers.

8.8: Dividing a Polynomial by a Binomial URL Dividing Polynomials by Binomials

Read the section on dividing a polynomial by a binomial. Pay attention to the review of long division, since it will help you understand the technique. Review the solution to example 6.84 to see how to divide a trinomial by a binomial. Then, review the solution to example 6.85 to see how we handle dividing by a subtraction binomial. Be careful, and make sure you keep track of the negative sign.

After you study these examples, complete questions 6.167 through 6.170 in the Try It section.

Book Dividing Polynomials by Binomials

Read the section on dividing a polynomial by a binomial. Pay attention to the review of long division, since it will help you understand the technique. Review the solution to example 6.84 to see how to divide a trinomial by a binomial. Then, review the solution to example 6.85 to see how we handle dividing by a subtraction binomial. Be careful, and make sure you keep track of the negative sign.

After you study these examples, complete questions 6.167 through 6.170 in the Try It section.

9.1: Identifying Greatest Common Factor Page The Language of Factoring

Read this short article which provides an overview of the language and definitions you need to understand for factoring.

URL Using the Greatest Common Factor and Factoring by Grouping

Read this page up to the section on factoring by grouping. Factoring takes advantage of the distributive property in the opposite way from how we did it in Unit 8.

After you read, complete examples 7.1 through 7.7 and check your work.

9.2: Factoring Polynomials by Grouping Page Factor by Grouping

Watch the first six minutes of this video.

URL Practice Factoring Polynomials

Work through example 3 in the section on factoring by grouping, and solve problems 11 to 15, 17, 18, and 23 through 27 in the practice set. All of these problems are four-term polynomials that you can factor by grouping. After you complete the practice problems, check your answers.

9.3: Revisiting FOIL by Working Backwards Page Basic Concepts Involved in Factoring Trinomials

Read this article. The section Key Tools for Factoring Trinomials gives a brief overview of how factoring works, and Key Ideas for Finding the Numbers that Work also gives some basic rules to keep in mind when factoring.

9.4: Factoring Trinomials of the Form x² + bx + c when c is Positive Page Factoring Trinomials

Watch this video for an example of factoring a polynomial in this form.

URL Practice Factoring Polynomials

After you watch, complete this assessment and check your answers.

9.5: Factoring Trinomials of the Form x² + bx + c when c is Negative Page Factoring Trinomials of the Form x² + bx + c when c is Negative

Read this article. Pay attention to the overview of the steps for these problems. Read the examples and note where factoring is not possible, like in the last example. After you have reviewed the materials, complete a few practice problems until you feel comfortable. Be sure to check your answers when you are done.

9.6: Factoring by Grouping Page Factoring by Grouping

Watch these two videos which go through examples of using the factoring by grouping method.

URL Practice Factoring by Grouping

After you have watched the videos, complete this assignment and check your answers.

9.7: Factoring Trinomials of the Form x² + bxy + cy² and ax² + bxy + cy² Page Factoring Trinomials with Two Variables

Watch these videos, which demonstrate different methods for factoring trinomials with two variables.

URL Practice Factoring Trinomials with Two Variables

After you have watched the three videos, complete this assignment and check your answers.

9.8: Identifying and Factoring Complete Square Trinomials URL Factoring Using Perfect Square Trinomials

Read this article up to the section on solving quadratic polynomial equations by factoring. Watch the videos and work through the guided practice examples.

After you review, complete practice problems 1 through 8 and check your answers.

Page Factoring Perfect Square Trinomials

This video shows how to check whether the given trinomial is a complete square. Factor it if it is. You should try to factor by grouping if it is not.

9.9: Identifying and Factoring the Difference of Two Squares URL Factoring Using Difference of Squares

Read this article, which reviews the sum, difference, and square of the binomial equations we discussed earlier. Make sure you are comfortable with this before moving on. Pay attention to the examples of factoring the difference of two squares, since they show how to use the method.

After you read, complete review questions 1 through 5 and check your answers.

9.10: Identifying and Factoring the Sum and Difference of Two Cubes Page Factoring Sum of Cubes

Watch this video to see an example of how we treat this special case of factoring.

9.11: Factoring General Polynomials Page Factoring Polynomials

Watch these videos. Factoring a trinomial requires two steps. First, a common monomial factor is factored out, and then the resulting polynomial is factored by grouping. The second video gives an example of a multi-step factoring process by factoring out a common monomial and then using the difference of cubes formula.

URL More on Factoring Polynomials

This article gives more examples and introduces the idea of "prime polynomials" that cannot be factored.

URL Practice Factoring Polynomials

Complete this assignment and check your answers.

9.12: The Principle of Zero Product and Identifying Solutions URL Using the Principle of Zero Product to Solve Quadratic Equations

Read the section on solving quadratic equations using the zero product property. Review the solution to example 7.69 to see the steps for using the principle of zero product.

After you read, complete examples 7.70 and 7.71 and check your answers.

9.13: Using Factoring to Solve Quadratic Equations Page Using Factoring to Solve Quadratic Equations

Read these two articles, which give examples of how factoring is used to solve quadratic equations. Try to identify the factoring methods being used and why each step is performed. After you have reviewed the materials, complete a few practice problems and check your answers.

Page Using Factoring to Solve Complicated Quadratic Equations

Read each example slowly and try to identify the factoring methods being used and why each step is performed. After you have reviewed the materials, complete a few practice problems and check your answers.

9.14: Applications for Solving Problems URL Using Factoring to Solve Problems

Read this article, which shows how we use factoring in geometry and in problems where we need to find an unknown value.

After you read, complete review questions 1, 2, 5, 7, and 9 and check your answers.

Study Guide Book RWM102 Study Guide
Course Feedback Survey URL Course Feedback Survey