wunder beta🔤 Reading and Writing Algebra
Learn algebra's shorthand — why ab means a × b and a² means a × a — and translate real situations into expressions, tables, and graphs.
What you’ll learn
- Algebraic NotationRead and write algebraic expressions using standard conventions: ab for a × b, 3y for y + y + y, a² for a × a, a/b for a ÷ b, coefficients, and brackets.Algebra drops the × sign between letters, so ab means a × b and 5y means 5 × y. A number in front of a letter is a coefficient counting how many: 3y = y + y + y. A raised power multiplies the base by itself, so a² = a × a — different from 2a, which is a + a. A fraction bar means divide (a/b = a ÷ b) and brackets group terms. Reading and writing these fluently, in both directions, is the foundation of algebra.
- Algebraic TransformationsTranslate real situations into algebraic expressions, build tables of values from a rule, and connect a rule to its graph.Algebra describes situations: '£8 per ticket' becomes 8t. Splitting a sentence into fixed and variable parts turns '£3 start plus £2 per mile' into 2m + 3. Substituting inputs into a rule such as 2n + 1 builds a table of values (3, 5, 7, 9). Plotting those pairs produces a straight line, showing that one relationship can be seen as words, an expression, a table, or a graph.
Questions this course answers
What does the expression 5y mean?
A number next to a letter means multiply: 5y = 5 × y.
Which of these is the same as a²?
A power tells you to multiply the base by itself: a² = a × a.
What does 3y mean?
The coefficient 3 counts how many y's: 3y = y + y + y.
How do you write 'a divided by b' in algebra?
A fraction bar means divide, so a ÷ b is written a/b.
A taxi charges £3 to start and £2 for each mile m. Which expression gives the total cost?
£2 per mile is 2m; add the fixed £3 start charge: 2m + 3.
When the pairs from the table of 2n + 1 are plotted, what shape do they make?
A rule of the form an + b always plots as a straight line.
Grounded in trusted sources
- BBC Bitesize — Maths (Key Stage 3)
- Khan Academy — Introduction to algebra
- NRICH (University of Cambridge)
- Britannica
Every Wunder lesson is built from real, reputable sources — never invented.
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