Why It Matters: Linear Equations

Why learn how to setup and solve multi-step linear equations?

It’s the last week of the semester, and Kristy has practically been living in the library as she prepares for her final exams. She’s especially nervous about one class in particular: college algebra. While she has always liked math, Kristy has struggled with some of the new concepts she’s been learning, and she didn’t do as well as she would have liked on her last quiz.

What’s more, Kristy is also feeling the pressure of having to maintain a specific grade point average to keep her athletic scholarship. She has to pass the class with a C or better. Currently, she has an [latex]82.3[/latex]%, thanks to the hard work she has put in all semester.

As Kristy works on practice problems in the library, she’s thinking about another pressing math problem: what grade does she need to get on the final exam to keep the B? And, in the worst case scenario, what grade does she need to earn a C in the class? Remember that her scholarship is riding on it!

Girl sitting at a long table wearing glasses, writing in an open book.

Is Kristy ready for her math exam?

To figure out what grades she needs to earn on the final, Kristy can apply some of the math she’s been learning–specifically, how to solve multi-step linear equations. If you’ve ever needed to solve a problem like Kristy’s (and what student hasn’t?), read on to find out how.

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