Pre-Algebra Essentials For Dummies E-Book

Mark Zegarelli

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Seitenzahl: 191

Beschreibung

Many students worry about starting algebra. Pre-AlgebraEssentials For Dummies provides an overview of criticalpre-algebra concepts to help new algebra students (and theirparents) take the next step without fear. Free of ramp-up material,Pre-Algebra Essentials For Dummies contains content focusedon key topics only. It provides discrete explanations of criticalconcepts taught in a typical pre-algebra course, from fractions,decimals, and percents to scientific notation and simple variableequations. This guide is also a perfect reference for parents whoneed to review critical pre-algebra concepts as they help studentswith homework assignments, as well as for adult learners headedback into the classroom who just need to a refresher of the coreconcepts. The Essentials For Dummies Series Dummies is proud to present our new series, The Essentials ForDummies. Now students who are prepping for exams, preparing tostudy new material, or who just need a refresher can have aconcise, easy-to-understand review guide that covers an entirecourse by concentrating solely on the most important concepts. Fromalgebra and chemistry to grammar and Spanish, our expert authorsfocus on the skills students most need to succeed in a subject.

Leseprobe

Pre-Algebra Essentials For Dummies®

Table of Contents

Introduction

About This Book

Conventions Used in This Book

Foolish Assumptions

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Chapter 1: Arming Yourself with Math Basics

Understanding Sets of Numbers

The Big Four Operations

Adding things up

Take it away: Subtracting

Multiplying

Doing division lickety-split

Fun and Useful Properties of the Big Four Operations

Inverse operations

Commutative operations

Associative operations

Distributing to lighten the load

Other Operations: Exponents, Square Roots, and Absolute Values

Understanding exponents

Discovering your roots

Figuring out absolute value

Finding Factors

Generating factors

Finding the greatest common factor (GCF)

Finding Multiples

Generating multiples

Finding the least common multiple (LCM)

Chapter 2: Evaluating Arithmetic Expressions

The Three E’s: Equations, Expressions, and Evaluations

Equality for all: Equations

Hey, it’s just an expression

Evaluating the situation

Putting the Three E’s together

Following the Order of Operations

Order of operations and the Big Four expressions

Order of operations in expressions with exponents

Order of operations in expressions with parentheses

Chapter 3: Say What? Making Sense of Word Problems

Handling Basic Word Problems

Turning word problems into word equations

Plugging in numbers for words

Solving More-Challenging Word Problems

When numbers get serious

Lots of information

Putting it all together

Chapter 4: Figuring Out Fractions

Reducing Fractions to Lowest Terms

Multiplying and Dividing Fractions

Multiplying numerators and denominators straight across

Doing a flip to divide fractions

Adding Fractions

Finding the sum of fractions with the same denominator

Adding fractions with different denominators

Subtracting Fractions

Subtracting fractions with the same denominator

Subtracting fractions with different denominators

Working with Mixed Numbers

Converting between improper fractions and mixed numbers

Multiplying and dividing mixed numbers

Adding and subtracting mixed numbers

Chapter 5: Deciphering Decimals

Performing the Big Four Operations with Decimals

Adding decimals

Subtracting decimals

Multiplying decimals

Dividing decimals

Converting between Decimals and Fractions

Changing decimals to fractions

Changing fractions to decimals

Chapter 6: Puzzling Out Percents

Understanding Percents Greater than 100%

Converting to and from Percents, Decimals, and Fractions

Going from percents to decimals

Changing decimals into percents

Switching from percents to fractions

Turning fractions into percents

Solving Percent Problems

Figuring out simple percent problems

Deciphering more-difficult percent problems

Applying Percent Problems

Identifying the three types of percent problems

Introducing the percent circle

Chapter 7: Fraction, Decimal, and Percent Word Problems

Adding and Subtracting Parts of the Whole

Sharing a pizza: Fractions

Buying by the pound: Decimals

Splitting the vote: Percents

Multiplying Fractions in Everyday Situations

Buying less than advertised

Computing leftovers

Multiplying Decimals and Percents in Word Problems

Figuring out how much money is left

Finding out how much you started with

Handling Percent Increases and Decreases in Word Problems

Raking in the dough: Finding salary increases

Earning interest on top of interest

Getting a deal: Calculating discounts

Chapter 8: Using Variables in Algebraic Expressions

Variables: X Marks the Spot

Expressing Yourself with Algebraic Expressions

Evaluating algebraic expressions

Coming to algebraic terms

Making the commute: Rearranging your terms

Identifying the coefficient and variable

Identifying similar terms

Considering algebraic terms and the Big Four operations

Simplifying Algebraic Expressions

Combining similar terms

Removing parentheses from an algebraic expression

Chapter 9: X’s Secret Identity: Solving Algebraic Equations

Understanding Algebraic Equations

Using x in equations

Four ways to solve algebraic equations

Checks and Balances: Solving for X

Striking a balance

Using the balance scale to isolate x

Rearranging Equations to Isolate X

Rearranging terms on one side of an equation

Moving terms to the other side of the equal sign

Removing parentheses from equations

Using cross-multiplication to remove fractions

Chapter 10: Decoding Algebra Word Problems

Using a Five-Step Approach

Declaring a variable

Setting up the equation

Solving the equation

Answering the question

Checking your work

Choosing Your Variable Wisely

Solving More-Complex Algebra Problems

Chapter 11: Geometry: Perimeter, Area, Surface Area, and Volume

Closed Encounters: Understanding 2-D Shapes

Circles

Polygons

Adding Another Dimension: Solid Geometry

The many faces of polyhedrons

3-D shapes with curves

Measuring Shapes: Perimeter, Area, Surface Area, and Volume

2-D: Measuring on the flat

Spacing out: Measuring in three dimensions

Chapter 12: Picture It! Graphing Information

Examining Three Common Graph Styles

Bar graph

Pie chart

Line graph

Using Cartesian Coordinates

Plotting points on a Cartesian graph

Drawing lines on a Cartesian graph

Solving problems with a Cartesian graph

Chapter 13: Ten Essential Math Concepts

Playing with Prime Numbers

Zero: Much Ado about Nothing

Delicious Pi

Equal Signs and Equations

The Cartesian Graph

Relying on Functions

Rational Numbers

Irrational Numbers

The Real Number Line

Exploring the Infinite

Pre-Algebra Essentials For Dummies®

by Mark Zegarelli with Krista Fanning

Pre-Algebra Essentials For Dummies®

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2010924584

ISBN: 978-0-470-61838-7

Manufactured in the United States of America

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About the Authors

Mark Zegarelli is the author of Logic For Dummies (Wiley) plus three For Dummies books on pre-algebra and Calculus II. He holds degrees in both English and math from Rutgers University. Mark lives in Long Branch, New Jersey, and San Francisco, California.

Krista Fanning writes and edits textbooks and supplementary materials for several publishing houses. As a former elementary school teacher, she has a passion for education and details. In her publishing career, she has been involved in the production of over 50 titles. She enjoys spending time with her family and stalking her local library for the newest mysteries and thrillers.

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