Lesson: Basic Algebra - 02

Introducing Variables

Algebra is a big word for a straightforward idea: it's a system of working with equations in which one or more parts of the equation are unknown. These “unknowns” are called variables and are represented in equations by letters instead of by numbers.

A variable is a letter that acts as a placeholder for a number or a set of numbers.

For example, in the equation

6x = 18

x holds the place of 3, since (6)(3) = 18. From an equation like the one above, we can determine the value of x and go on to use that information in a number of ways. BackNext

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