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After finishing this page, try the Equations 1 Quiz.
The equation is a very basic idea in algebra. An equation is like a mathematical sentence in which the amounts on both sides are equal. You have worked with equations most of your life. Let's take a look at a simple one:
3 + 2 |
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You know that the number behind the mystery door is 5. The mystery door is a symbol that stands in for the number five in this equation.
3 + 2 |
= |
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Let's try a trickier equation based on our equation above:
3 +
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5
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One way we can find out what number is behind the mystery door is to take the number three away from each side of the equation. Since it is an equation and the rules of the equation are to make sure both sides of the equation are balanced with the same amount.
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2 |
Let's go back to our original equation and see if two fits.
3 + 2 |
= |
5 |
