Literal Equations
Name: _______________________________________ Date: ___________
1. Solve both equations for x, showing each step that you did to isolate the
variable.
2x – 5 = 13
mx – n = k
2. What is the same and different about the two equations?
3. What was the same and what was different about the process of solving the
two equations?
Directions: For problems 4 through 9, solve each equation for a specific variable.
State the algebraic properties used.
4. y + 3 = x
for y
6. 3m + 2n = 12
for m
5. 4a = b
for a
7. x + y = z
4
for x
8.
2
/3(w + 5) = v
for w
9.
c = a – 3b + 9
5
for b
Directions: For problems 10 through 13, solve the following formulas for the
specific variable.
10. A = lw
Solve for w.
12. A = ½h(b1 + b2) Solve for b2.
11. V = πr2h Solve for r.
13. SA = 2LW + 2LH + 2WH
Solve for H.
Directions: Use the following information to solve problems 14 and 15.
At a baseball game, hot dogs cost $2.25 and drinks cost $1.75. The total cost, t,
for h hot dogs and d drinks can be described by the equation t = 2.25h + 1.75d.
14. Rewrite the equation to find d.
15. If you spent $18.25 and bought 5 hot dogs, how many drinks did you buy?
Directions: Use the following information to solve problems 16 - 18.
A hairdresser charges $25 for a man’s haircut, $35 for a woman’s haircut, and $15
for a child’s haircut. Her total income, t, can be described by the following
equation, where m = the number of men’s haircuts, w = the number of women’s
haircuts, and c = the number of children’s haircuts. t = 25m + 35w + 15c
16. Last week, the hairdresser’s total income was $385. Her customers included 8
women and 2 children. If she wants to find out how many customers were men, for
which variable should she solve the equation?
17. Solve the equation for that variable.
18. Find the number of men who get haircuts.
19. The equation to convert temperatures from Fahrenheit to Celsius is
C = 5/9(F – 32). Rewrite the equation for F. (C represents temperatures in Celsius
and F represents temperatures in Fahrenheit.)
Directions: For problems 20 through 24, use the most appropriate formula from
problem 20 to convert the temperatures to the indicated degree measurement
system. Show which formula to use, substitute and solve.
20. 50˚ F = _______ ˚C
21. 77˚ F = _______ ˚C
22. 10˚C = _______ ˚F
23. 15˚ C = _______ ˚F
24. 35˚ F = _______ ˚C