Algebra Problems for 8th Grade Math Students

What Topics Are Covered In Algebra Problems For 8th Grade?

The concepts learned in beginning algebra classes lay the foundation for high school math classes, so it is important that your child gains solid footing in these basic skills. The following are typical topics that you can expect your child to learn in an introductory algebra class.

• Simplifying expressions (e.g., 5x + 6x = 11x)
• Solving equations for a variable
• Creating equations from word problems
• Graphing linear equations (e.g., y = mx + b)
• Calculating slope and intercepts

Sample Problems

Questions

1. Simplify the following expression: 4x + 7y - 1 x = 11 y.

To simplify, combine like terms. In this case, your child should combine the x and y variables. Begin by subtracting 7y from both sides, so the equation should look like this: 4x - 1x = 11y - 7y. Then, combine the terms. The answer is 3x = 4y.

2. If 10 = -3x + 4, what is x?

Begin by isolating the variable, x, by subtracting four from both sides. The equation should now be 6 = -3x. Solve for x by dividing -3 from both, so that x = -2.

3. Write the following expression: the sum of four times a number, x, plus 25 is 80 minus x. What is x?

The equation should look like this: 4x + 25 = 80 - x. Once again, to solve, you want to combine like terms. Begin by subtracting 25 from both sides, so the equation should be 4x = 80 - x -25. Then, add x to both sides and combine terms, so that 5x = 105. The answer is x = 21.

4. Given the equation y = 2x + 1, identify the slope and y-intercept coordinate.

The slope of this line is 2, which is represented by m in the equation y = mx + b. The y-intercept coordinate is (0,1). This can be found easily based on the given equation because the number, b, is where the line intercepts the y-axis.

5. A line passes through the coordinates (0,1) and (1,2). What is the slope (m) of the line?

Your child will likely benefit from drawing this line on a graph. To calculate slope, count the units needed to get from one point to the other vertically, this is sometimes called rise. Then, count the units in between the two points horizontally; this is called run. Divide rise over run (rise/run). For this problem, there's only one unit in between the two points vertically and horizontally, so m = 1/1 = 1.