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# Expressions with One or More Variables

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Practice Expressions with One or More Variables
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Expressions with One or More Variables

What if the paycheck for your summer job were represented by the algebraic expression $10h + 25$ , where h is the number of hours you work? If you worked 20 hours last week, how could you find the value of your paycheck? After completing this Concept, you'll be able to evaluate algebraic expressions like this one.

### Guidance

When we are given an algebraic expression, one of the most common things we might have to do with it is evaluate it for some given value of the variable. The following example illustrates this process.

#### Example A

Let $x = 12$ . Find the value of $2x - 7$ .

#### Example B

Let $y = -2.$ Find the value of $\frac {7} {y} - 11 y + 2$ .

#### Example C

The area of a trapezoid is given by the equation $A = \frac{ h } { 2 } (a + b)$ . Find the area of a trapezoid with bases $a = 10 \ cm$ and $b = 15 \ cm$ and height $h = 8 \ cm$ .

### Vocabulary

• When given an algebraic expression, one of the most common things we might have to do with it is evaluate it for some given value of the variable. We substitute the value in for the variable and simplify the expression.

### Guided Practice

Let $x= 3$ and $y = -2.$ Find the value of $3xy + \frac{6}{y}-2x$ .

### Practice

Evaluate 1-8 using $a = -3, \ b = 2, \ c = 5,$ and $d = -4$ .

1. $2a + 3b$
2. $4c + d$
3. $5ac - 2b$
4. $\frac { 2a } { c - d }$
5. $\frac { 3b } { d }$
6. $\frac { a - 4b } { 3c + 2d }$
7. $\frac { 1 } { a + b }$
8. $\frac { ab } {cd }$

For 9-11, the weekly cost $C$ of manufacturing $x$ remote controls is given by the formula $C = 2000 + 3x$ , where the cost is given in dollars.

1. What is the cost of producing 1000 remote controls?
2. What is the cost of producing 2000 remote controls?
3. What is the cost of producing 2500 remote controls?