Algebra, the quiet language
Mathematics · BECE · JSS (BECE)
If you can collect like terms and expand a bracket, half of JSS3 is already friendly.
What you need to know
- Like terms have the same letter and power: 3x and 7x. 3x and 3x² are not like terms.
- Expand: 3(x + 4) = 3x + 12. The 3 multiplies everything in the bracket.
- Factorise: 6x + 9 = 3(2x + 3). Pull out the HCF.
- Solve 2x + 5 = 17 by undoing: subtract 5, then divide by 2. x = 6.
- An inequality flips when you multiply or divide by a negative: −2x > 8 → x < −4.
- Substitution: if x = 3, then 2x² = 2 × 9 = 18, not (2x)² unless the bracket is there.
The mistake to avoid
2x² means 2 × (x²), not (2x)². (2x)² is 4x².