Introduce the concept of variables as a way of representing numbers using letters (ACMNA175)
LO: To understand the concept of variables used to represent numbers.
Know:
What a variable is.
That a variable can be used to replace a number
Understand:
That variables can be used to replace a number
Do:
I can replace a number with a variable
Essential Questions:
What is a variable?
How can variables replace numbers?
What are Variables?
Variables are “missing values”.
A pronumeral is a letter or symbol that is used in place of a number.
In real life, someone might ask you, something plus 5 makes 10. What is something?
In Numeracy terms, mathematicians are a bit lazy so they want to make it as easy as possible, so they write “x” in place of something, so that it looks more like (x + 5 = 10).
Why do we Need Letters?
-letters are easier to write than something.
-if there are more than 1 missing value, then we can use multiple letters.
In some equations, you might have multiple variables, like I = PRT or E = MC^2 or S = D/T
7x is the same as 7 times x.
x/5 is the same as x divided 5.