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One Step Linear Equations

Introduction

A linear equation is an equation describing a line on a graph. The usual format for a linear equation is y=mx+b (this is called the slope-intercept format). m is the slope of the line (how steeply it goes up or down) and b is the y-intercept (which is where the line crosses the y-axis - also the point at which x=0).

To solve one-step linear equations, you just have to combine the like terms.

Terms

Lesson

For this type of linear equation, we'll be focusing on the slope-intercept format (y=mx+b).

That means we need to get y on one side of the equation (not 2y, or -y, but exactly y), and the x variable and the number on the right-hand side of the equation.

An example of a slope-intercept linear equation is:

y=2x+1y=2x+1

To 'solve' a linear equation, we don't find the value for x and y (and we can't, unless we're given another line to combine it with), but instead, we have to put the equation in this format.

If we are given the equation:

7y6y=2x+77y - 6y = 2x + 7

Since the right-hand side of the equation is complete, we just need to combine the like terms on the left-hand side. To do that, we do 7y-6y, which gives the answer y.

Therefore, the solution is:

y=2x+7y=2x+7

We can solve the equation in one step as long as there is only one set of like terms to combine.

Examples

1=x+8-1 = x + 8
1-1==x+8x + 8
8-8==8-8
9-9==xx

Lily starts with 6 pears, and after Madison gives Lily a few more pears, Lily has 11 pears. How many pears did Madison give Lily?
Create equation for problem
x+6x + 6==1111
6-6==6-6
xx==55

One Step Linear Equations Worksheets (PDF)

One Step Linear Equations Worksheet 1

One Step Linear Equations Worksheet 2

One Step Linear Equations Worksheet 3

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