Chapter 3

Algebra
In this chapter, you will learn how to describe the notions of terms, factors,
and like terms. You also will learn how to carry out mathematical operations of like
and unlike terms as well as to apply the properties of algebraic multiplication to
solve problems. The key terms that you need to pay attention are variable, algebraic
form, like terms, coefficient, and constant.
A large proportion of mathematics has been devoted to algebra because of
their immediate application to real situations.
You may learn algebraic form and their operations by first understanding
the descriptions and examples in each chapter, trying to solve each problem
grading from the simplest to the most complex the simplest one, and applying
the use of algebra in real life. You may learn algebraic form by uncovering their
components and relationship among them. The following is the map of integers and
its components:

Algebra

Algebraic Form Algebraic

Fraction

Algebraic
Operation

Addition Subtraction Multiplication Division

Student’s Book Chapter 3.1 - Algebraic Form and their Opeartions 85

 Section 3.1
Algebraic Forms and their Operations

Learning Objectives : A man wants to give a certain amount of money

• To describe the notions to his four children. The youngest child will get the
of terms, factor, and
like terms half of what each gets. If the other three get x then the
• To carry out youngest gets a half of x. Suppose the total money is
mathematical
operations of like and Rp 100,000,000.00, how would you know how much
unlike terms money each child will get? If they all save their money
• To apply the
properties of algebraic in a Bank, how would you figure out how much money
multiplication to solve will be left in their bank account after they make x
problems
Key Terms : purchases on credit with r% interest and have to pay it
• variable back within y days?
• algebraic form
• like terms Interest is one of algebraic forms of application
• coefficient in daily life. You cannot run away from algebra if you
• factor
• constant want to solve the above problems.
The following are algebraic problems:
What will you do if you get sick? Do you go to
a doctor? If you consult a doctor, you usually get a
prescription. You have to go to a pharmacy or a
drug store to buy the medicine that is written on the
prescription.
Here are examples of information that are written
Notice.
1 a or a x 1 is written as a.
on the label of the medicine:

3 x 1 tablet per day

2 x 2 teaspoons per day

What do “3 1” and “2 2” mean? How many

times should someone take the medicine a day?

86 Mathematics for Junior High School - Year 7

 Mathematically,
3 1 =1+1+1
2 2 =2+2
The numbers such as 1, 2, or 4 can be replaced by any
letters such as a to represent integers. If it is replaced by
the letter a, we have
2 a or written as 2a, and 2a = a + a.
3 a or written as 3a, and 3a = a + a + a
4 a or written as 4a, and 4a = a + a + a + a,
and so on.
Multiplication of the same number such as 2 2 can be
written as 22. Can the prescription be labeled as 22? Why?
Explain.
Mathematically,

Notice.
2 2 2 is written as 23.
a1 is written as a 2 2 2 2 2 is written as 25, and so on.
The rule also applies to any whole number, say y. Thus
we have the following forms.
y4 = y y y y.
y5 = y y y y y,
and so on.

Example 1 Express in the simplest forms.

a. 6 y
b.
Solution:
a. 6 y = y + y + y + y + y + y = 6y
b. = 7

Notice that 6y can be written as 1 6y or 2 3y or 6 y.

1, 2, 3, 6, y, 2y, 3y and 6y are called the factors of 6y. Can
you determine the factors of 10ab2?
Consider in 2 , 3 or 2. The letter a is called
variable, and 2 , 3 or 2 are called algebraic forms. Here
are some examples of algebraic forms:
Student’s Book Chapter 3 - Algebra 87
 1) -2 single term (monomial)
2) 3 +5 two term ( binomial)
3) 7 2
+ 3 +5 three term (trinomial
-2 in -2 is called coefficient
in 3 + 5 is called variable
5 in 7 2 + 3 + 5 is called constanta
2 in 7 2 + 3 + 5 is called the power of exponent of
Look at the following algebraic form:
5 3+4 2
– 2
+9 +6
The expression such as 5 3, 4 2, - 2, 9 and 6
respectively is called a term. Thus, this algebraic form
has 5 terms. This algebraic form is called polynomial.
Given the terms 4 2 and – 2. The powers of in
both terms are equal, that is, 2. Such terms are called like
terms. Like terms contain the same variable and have the
same power. If an algebraic form has like terms, it can be
simplified by adding or subtracting.

Example 2 Simplify the following algebraic forms.

a. 3 2 + 4 2
b. –2 3 + 4 3
c. 9 – 13
Solution:
a. 3 2 + 4 2 = ( 2 + 2 + 2) + ( 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 )
=7 2
or by using distributive law to yield
3 2 + 4 2 = (3 + 4) 2
= 7 2.
The distributive law is useful to add or to subsract like
terms.
b. –2 3 + 4 3 = (–2 + 4) 3
=2 3
c. 9 – 13 = (9 – 13)
=-4

88 Mathematics for Junior High School - Year 7

 Algebraic form 5 3 + 4 2 – 2 + 9 + 6 can be simplified by
collecting and then summing up or subtracting them.
5 3 + 4 2 – 2 + 9 + 6 = 5 3 + (4 -1) 2 + 9 + 6
= 5 3+3 2+9 +6
The last form consists of 4 terms; that is, 5 3, 3 2, 9 2 and
6.

Example 3 Simplify the following algebraic forms.

a. 3x4 + 2x2 + x - 2
b. 6s3 + 2s2 – 3s2 + s - 5
Solution:
a. Because there are not any like terms, we cannot simplify
it.
b. 6s3 + 2 s2 – 3s3 + s – 5 = 6s3 + (2 – 3) s2 + s – 5
= 6s3 + (– 1) s2 + s - 5
= 6s3 – s2 + s - 5

Sometimes, an algebraic form is the product of

numerals and variables. To simplify it, we use the
distributive law with respect to addition or subtraction.
To make it clearer, look at the following example.

Example 4 Use the distributive law of multiplication in respect to

addition or subtraction to simplify the following algebraic
forms.
a. 5( + 2b) b. 7(2x – 5)
c. 25( + 2b) d. (2 )3
5
Solution:
a. 25( + 2b) = (5 + ) + (5 + 2 )
= 5 + 10
b. 25( + 35b) = +
5
= 5a + 7
c. 7(2x – 5) = 7(2x) + 7(-5)
= 14x – 35
d. (2 )
3
=2 ×2 ×2
= (2 × 2 × 2 ) × ( × × )
= 23 × 3 = 23 3

Student’s Book Chapter 3 - Algebra 89

 Example 5 Simplify the algebraic forms below.
a. 2x – 5y + 6x – 2y
b. 4a – 3b – 5a + 2b
Solution:
a. 2x – 5y + 6x – 2y = 2x + 6x – 5y – 2y
= (2 + 6) x + (-5 – 2)y
= 8x + (-7)y
= 8x – 7y
b. 4a – 3b – 5a + 2b = 4a – 5a – 3b + 2b
= (4 - 5)a + (-3 + 2)b
= (-1)a + (-1)b
=-a–b

Notice that algebraic forms always contain one or

more variables. The variables can be replaced by any
number. In solving problems, we need to substitute a
certain number for a variable. How to find the result?
Consider the following example.

Example 6 If = 2, = 3 and = 6, find out the results of :

a. +
b. + + 2
c. 3 2 – 2
Solution:
a. + =2+3
=5
b. + + 2 = 2 + 3 + 2(6)
= 2 + 3 + 12 = 17
c. 3 2
–2 = 3 (2)2 – 2 (6)
= 3 (4) – 12 = 12 – 12 = 0.

90 Mathematics for Junior High School - Year 7

Example 7 Relation with Real Life
Sign boards of a company, a hotel or an amusement
3x
center commonly have a rectangular shape. If the length
and the width of a sign board are 3x metres dan x metres,
respectively, what is its perimeter?
If the perimeter (P) = 2( the width + the length), what is the
perimeter of the sign board?
Solution :
The perimeter (P) of the sign board
P = 2(the length + the with)
P = 2(3x + x)
P = 2(3x) + 2(x)
P = 6x + 2x
P = 8x
Thus, the perimeter of the sign board is 8x metres.

Task 3.1 1. Simplify the following algebraic forms.

a. 4 -3b - 5 + 2b
b. 2x + 3(y - x)
c. 3p - 5 (-p + )
d. 2 - 4 ( - )
e. 3x - 2y + 2x + 2y
f. 12x2 - 8y2 + 3x2 - 4y2
g. 3 2 + 2 - + l
h. - 4( + ) - 3(2 + )
2. Simplify each of the following.
a. 6x – 8 – x –
b. 4 – 9 + 2 – 5
c. 11 – 7 – 5 – 2
d. – – 3 + 12 + 4
e. 6 – 4 + 8 + 3
f. 5 – 10 + 3 + – 9 – 4
g. 7 – 7 + 4 – 1
h. -3x + 1 – 5 + 8 – 2x – 3
3. Given = 3, = -2 and = 1, calculate :
a. value of T, if T = 2 - 2 + .
b. value of A, if A = 2 -
c. value of N, if N = + 2

d. value of E, if E = - -
e. value of I, if I = - 2 + 2
3

Student’s Book Chapter 3 - Algebra 91

 4. An object is dropped at a certain height. Let the
equation of its position be expressed by h = 5t2 +
t, where h denotes the position after being dropped
in metre and t denotes time measured after being
dropped in second. How far is that falling object after
a. 2 seconds?
b. 3 seconds?
5. Totok is 13 years old now. In the next five years Totok
will be twice as much as Tono’s age. How old is Tono
now?
6. Netty has Rp 57,500.00, while Iin has Rp 6,250.00
more than the amount of Netty’s money. How much
money does Iin have?
7. Ida is 5 years older than Ifa.
a. If Ifa now is years old, express Ida’s age in .
b. What is the sum of their ages now? Express it in .
c. How old is Ifa 4 years to go? Express it in .
8. In a mathematics test Maman got a score of 12 points
more than Wati’s.
a.If Wati got , express the score that Maman got in
.
b.What is their sum? Express it in .
9. Amar and Bambang played marbles. Amar had 120
marbles. Bambang had 100 marbles. When the game
was over, Amar had 112 marbles left. How many
marbles did Bambang have after the game?
10.Multiple choice. A sack of rice has a mass of kg. A
worker wants to make the sack of rice into n smaller
packages each of which has the mass kg. The mass
of the remaining rice (in kg) in the sack is . . .
a. -
b.
c. -
d.

92 Mathematics for Junior High School - Year 7

 Section 3.2
Operations on Algebraic Fractional Form

Learning Objectives : In Chapter 2, you learned how to add and subtract

• To operate a one- term
algebraic fractions
fractions.
• To simplify the results
of algebraic fractional
Now examine some operations on the following
operations fractions.
2 3
Key Words: a. 1 + = b. 1 + 3 = 4
4 4 4 5 5 5
• algebraic fractional
form
c. 6 - 3 = 3 d. 5 - 2 = 3
8 8 8 7 7 7

Based on the examples, we can conclude that to

add or to subtract like fractions we just add or subtract
the numerators while the denominators remain
unchanged.
Now what is 2 + 3 ? The answer is 5 , isn’t it?
a a a
Next do the following problems.

Problem 1 Find the results of

3
a. b + 5 b. 6 + 3 c. 9 - 4
b c c d d

d. 4 + 6 e. 3 + 5 - 6 + 7 f. 3 + 4 - 7 + 6
e e a a a a b b b b

Next, examine the multiplication on the fractions below.

6
a. 25 x 34 = b. 3 x 3 = 8
20 b b 21

To find the product of two fractions we only need

to multiply the corresponding numerators and the
corresponding denominators.
Now what is 2 x 2 ? for = 0 and k = 0
5 5

Student’s Book Chapter 3 - Algebra 93

 Problem 2 Now do the following problems.
What is the product of the following?
8 7 7
a. 4 x 5 b. 5 x 72 c. 3m2 x 6 d. n2 x 8k3
Re m e m b e r 7d e k 8l n
Next, look at the division on the following fractions.
Remember:
Dividing fractions is mul- a. 2 : 5 = 2 x 6 4
b. 7 : 8 = 4 x 9
tiplying the dividend to
3 6 3 5 9 7 8
2 x 6
reciprocals of the divisor. =
3x5 =4x9
7x8
12 36
= 15 = 56

Problem 3 Now do the following problem.

What is the result of the following divisions?
3 2 5 5 4 7 5 3
a.
5b : 3 b. :
d2 6k
c.
3n2 : l5 d. :
7b4 8f3
Next, examine the fractional exponents below.
5 6 6 6
a.  2  = 2 b.  2 × 3  = 2 × 3
5

35  
3  7  76

Based on the examples above, we can conclude that to

raise the power of a fraction we just raise the power of
numerator and denominator.
4
5 4
What is   ? The answer is 5 , isn’t it?
k k4
5 5
What is  3  ? The answer is 3 ,isn’t it?
2
k  k 10

Now, do the following problems.

Problem 4 Find the results of

3 2
a. 
5   3 
b. 
 2 
 6k   2k 
5 x
c.  k  d.  6 
 3  5
 5b   2c 

94 Mathematics for Junior High School - Year 7

Task 3.2 Calculate

1. 7 + 8 - 6 - 7
 8 9 7

a b c d
7.  2 + :
n k k
4 6 8 12  9 8 4
2. 5a + 7a + 9b +
3b 8.  − :
m n m
8 3 8 6  4
3. 2k x 2k2 9.  × : 2
n m m
4 3  8 7  8
4. 2m2 x 5n 10.  3 : 2 ×
m n  n
5 3
4 7 6  7  8 
5.  2 + 3  11.   + 
2n  l m   m   2n 
4 5
 7 9  8  8   4 
6.  − 2 × 12.   + 2 
 2k n  n  2n   3k 
2 3
13. When simplified + becomes:
3x 4x
5
a.
7x
17
c.
12x
b. 17 2
12 x
5
d.
12x

Student’s Book Chapter 3 - Algebra 95

 Section 3.3
Problem Solving

Problem-solving guide-
lines:
• Understanding the
problem
• Developing a plan and
selecting strategies
• Carrying out the plan
• Checking the answer
Problem-Solving
Strategies:
• Guessing and checking
• Drawing a table/
diagram
• Writing an equation
• Simplifying the problem
• Looking for patterns
• Using logical reasonin
Example 1
Drawing a Figure
Pak Janis wanted to have a large picture of a fish. First,
he photographed a picture 1 1 times the actual size.
2
Because the photograph was still not large enough, he
enlarged it 1 1 times. How many times as large as the
2
original picture is the second enlargement?
Solution:
1. Understanding the problem
a. What is the unknown?
How many times as large as the original picture is
the second enlargement?
b. What are the data?
• The first enlargement is 1 1 times the original
picture. 2

• The second enlargement is 1 1 times the first

enlargement. 2

2. Developing a plan and strategy

Because the actual size is unknown, let it be x.
Enlargement means multiplication.
First enlargement = 1 1 times the actual size.
2
Second enlargement = 1 1 times the first
enlargement. 2

3. Carrying out the plan

Actual size
Length x (actual size)
x
First enlargement
Length
Second enlargement
Length 3
2
Therefore, after the second enlargement, the size is
9 times as large as the original size.
4

96 Mathematics for Junior High School - Year 7

 4. Checking the answer
The first and second enlargements use a number
greater than 1 so that the result must be larger than the
original size. Because 9 > 1 and a square of 3 , the
4 2
answer is acceptable

Example 2 Drawing A Table

A microbiologist places m bacteria onto an agar plate. She
counts the number of bacteria at approximately 3 hour
intervals starting from 9 AM. Explain what happens to the
number of bacteria in the first 5 intervals.

Solution:
1. Understanding the problem
a. What is the unknown?
What happens to the number of bacteria in the first
5 intervals
b. What are the data?
The initial number of bacteria is m. The number of
bacteria is counted every 3-hour intervals, starting
at 9 AM.
Number of 2. Developing a plan and strategy
Time The strategy will be used to solve this problem is
bacteria
drawing a table, since the counting is done in every
9 am m 3 - hour starting from 9 AM. Then, based on the table,
12 pm 2m draw a conclusion.
3 pm 4m 3. Carrying out the plan
6 pm 8m In each interval there are some dead bacteria. So, at
9 pm 16 m the last 5 intervals, the number of bacteria remaining
is 32 m-n, in which n is the number of bacteria dead
12 am 32 m in the first five intervals.
4. Checking the answer
The answer can be accepted because each coefficient
of m is the square of 2. This is how bacteria grow.

Exercise 3
Solve the following problems using one or more
strategies.
1. A rule for finding the sum of the interior angles in a
many-sided figure such as a pentagon is
S = 180(n − 2) where S represents the sum of the
angles inside the figure and n represents the number
of sides. The diagram at right shows the interior angles
in a pentagon.

Student’s Book Chapter 3 - Algebra 97

 Use the rule to find the sum of the interior angles for
the following figures:
a. a hexagon (6 sides) b. a pentagon
c. a triangle d. a quadrilateral (4 sides)
e. a 20-sided figure.
2. Licia has bought her lunch from the school canteen
for $3.00. It consisted of a roll, a carton of milk and
a piece of fruit. She paid 60 cents more for the milk
than the fruit and 30 cents more for the roll than the
milk. How much did the roll cost her?
3. Find at least 2-digit numbers that are equal to 7 times
the sum of their digits.
4. Find 5 consecutive numbers that add to 120.
5. I’m thinking of a number. If I multiply it by 5 and subtract
4, I get the same number as when I multiply it by 4 and
add 2. What is the number?

Reflection
1. Indicate the type of algebraic form which is the
most difficult to understand.
2. Indicate the algebraic fraction which is the easiest
to understand.
3. Are the descriptions and examples of the algebra
in this chapter easy to learn? If not, explain.
4. Do the descriptions and examples of the algebra
in this chapter make you more active in learning
mathematics?

Summary
In this chapter, you have learned:
1. Algebraic forms, algebraic fractions and algebraic
operations.
2. How to get algebraic forms.
3. How to get algebraic fractions.
4. How to solve algebraic expressions.
5. Laws of algebraic operations.
6. How to solve operations of algebraic fractions.
7. The relationship between algebra and real life.
98 Mathematics for Junior High School - Year 7