4.

3
ution
In this part you will study how to find the solution
What are you going to
learn? of a linear equation with one variable. To solve an
À To work out a linear equation means to find the solution of that
equation with one
variable equation. The solution of an equation is also called

Key Terms: a root of an equation. There are some questions

• solution
below to be solved. Solve each problem on your
• solution set own way.

Book Problem. Ida and Anis bought some books.

Problem 1
Ida bought 5 packs while Anis bought 2 packs. The
number of books in each pack is the same. Solve
each of the following questions (the questions are
not related to each other).

a) Suppose Ida gives nine writing books to her

sister and the remainder is the same as Anis’ book.
How many writing books are there in each pack?
b) Suppose Anis receives 12 extra writing books from
her brother so that the number of all of her books is the
same as the number of Ida’s books. How many writing
books are there in each pack?
c) Suppose Ida gives six books to her sister, Anis
receives twelve extra books from her brother and the
number of Ida’s book is the same as the number of Anis’
books. How many books are there in each pack?

Mathematics for Junior High School – Year 7 / 137

 Problem 2 Frog Problem. Two frogs, Tinki and Dipsi, were
staying under a tree. Suddenly, they were
frightened by a snake. They straightly jumped for
many times to the same direction in order to avoid
the snake. Tinki jumped six times and Dipsi jumped
seven times. On the first jump Tinki reached 35 cm
Tin
ki
and Dipsi reached 20 cm. On the next jump they
reached the same distance.

Dip
si
Answer each question below.
a) What can you state about the situation?
b) If on the last jump they reached the same
distance, how far did they reach on the second jump?
c) How far was the distance that was reached by
each frog up to the last jump?

One way to solve Problem 2 is to express the length of the second

jump and so on with a variable, for example x. Diagram-1 below
describes the situation of Problem 2.

Tinki
35 x x x x x x
Dipsi
20 x x x x x x x

The equation i s 35 +6x = 20 + 7x

Diagram 1

Explain how to obtain Diagram-2 from Diagram–1

and write that equation.

138 / Student’s Book – Linear Equations and Inequalities with One Variable
 Tinki
35

Dipsi
20 x The equation is ...........................

Diagram 2

Explain how to get Diagram-3 from Diagram –2.

Tinki
15

Dipsi
x How far is the second jump?

Diagram 3

Problem 3 Mosquito Problem. Do you still remember the

frogs, Tinki and Dipsi, which were chased by a
snake? After they reached a safety area, they took a
rest. After that, they looked for a mosquito close to
them.

Tinki
Dipsi

Figure 4.9

There was a Eugenia tree 100 cm behind Dipsi, while

Tinki was staying 25 cm behind Dipsi. To catch the
mosquito, Tinki had to jump four times, while Dipsi had
to jump twice. If every jump had the same distance, a)
draw a diagram which represents that situation b)
what was the distance in every jump?

Mathematics for Junior High School – Year 7 / 139

 One day Dipsi was 76 cm away from a tree and Tinki
was 24 cm away from the tree. It is described in the
picture below. Dipsi jumped five times in the opposite
direction of Tinki and Tinki jumped three times in the
opposite direction of Dipsi. If the distance in each jump
was the same,
a. write an equation related to the situation.
b. what was the length of each jump?

Dips i Tinki
76
• •

124
Figure 4.10

Problem 4
Find the solution of the following equations:
a. 6x – 10 = 2x + 2
b. 3x – 4 = 2x – 2

Answer the questions below.

a. Can we add a number to both sides of the
equation?
b. Can we subtract a number from both sides of the
equation?
c. Can we multiply or divide both sides by a non
zero number?

The three properties above are the base for working

out a linear equation with one variable. Hence, in
working out a linear equation with one variable,

140 / Student’s Book – Linear Equations and Inequalities with One Variable
 the steps are as follows:
a. Add a certain number to both sides.
b. Subtract a certain number from both sides.
c. Divide or multiply both sides by a certain
number, except zero.

If both sides of a linear equation are added to,

subtracted, multiplied, or divided by a certain
number, it will produce a linear equation
equivalent to the original equation. Now find out
linear equations equivalent to the following:

a. 3x + 4 = 5 b. 5t - 7 = 6 c. 7z = 8

Problem 5 Find out the solution set of the equations:

a. 4x + 2 = -2x + 5 b. x + 2 = 1 (x + 1).
2

Example 5
Ali and Udin are brothers. They cycled from the town
square to their home passing through the same path.
Ali’s speed is 12 km/hr, while Udin’s is 8 km/hr. Ali
arrived at home 15 minutes earlier than Udin. How long
did Ali cycle from the town square to his home?

Solution :

Let the time of cycling be t hour. Then the time of

Udin cycling is (t+ 15 ) hours = (t+ 1 ) hours.

60 4

Since the distances covered by Ali and Udin are the

same, then

Mathematics for Junior High School – Year 7 / 141

 12(t) = 8.(t + 1 )
4

Remember ⇔ 2t = 8t + 8 . 1
4

The distance = the ⇔ 12t = 8t + 2

velocity multiplied
by the time ⇔ 4t=2
or :
⇔ t= 2 = 1.
s=v×t 4 2

Therefore, Ali spent 1 hour or 30 minutes to cycle.

2

142 / Student’s Book – Linear Equations and Inequalities with One Variable
1. Write an equation to represent each of the
following statements.

a. If the number of Arif’s marbles is multiplied by

two and added to two, then the number is equal to
his marbles minus eight.

b. If Fia’s age is multiplied by two in the next 10

years, it will be equal to her age now multiplied by
three.

c. If Father’s money is multiplied by three, it will be

equal to his money plus Rp 100,000.00.

d. The number of Ida’s pencils becomes 50 after her

father bought her 23 more.

2. Find the solution set of each of the following

equations.
a. 5y = y – 40 f. x – 4 = 2x + 6
b. 2q + 4 = 4 – 2q g. t + 1 = 3t - 5

c. r + 1 = 4r + 1 h. 3 x = 1 + 2 x
4 2 3

d. 3a + 1 = 9 – a i. 1 (x – 7) = 5x
3

e. 2r + 16 = r - 25 j. 1 k + 1 = 6
5

3. Critical Thinking . Find out the wrong step in

solving the equation below. Explain why it is
wrong, and then write the true solution.

a. 2x = 11x + 45 b. 5 - y = 2 (y - 3 )
2 2

Mathematics for Junior High School – Year 7 / 143

 2x – 11x = 11x – 11x + 45 5 - y - y = 2y – y - 3
2 2

9x = 45 5 =y- 3
2 2
9x = 45 5 + 3 =y
9 9 2 2

x = 5. y = 8 = 4.
2

4. The sum of three even successive numbers is 48.

Find those numbers.

5. A car and a motor cycle move together to cover the

same distance. The speed of the car is 60 km/hr, while
the speed of the motor cycle is 45 km/hr. If the motor
cycle arrives at the destination 2 hours after the car does,
how long does it take the car and the motorcycle to
cover the distance?

6. A bread factory pays its employees Rp 100,000.00 per

day. The cost of raw materials for each bread is Rp
600.00. The price of each bread is Rp 1,200.00. How
many pieces of bread must be sold out so that the
income is equal to the expenses?

7. Mr. Bakar bought a camera for Rp 330,000.00. He has

paid for Rp 150,000.00 while the rest will be paid by
installments. If each installment is of the same value,
how many rupiahs must
Mr. Bakar pay for in each installment?

144 / Student’s Book – Linear Equations and Inequalities with One Variable
8. Write equations in such a way that both sides
contain variables and the solutions are as follows.
a. x = 0 c. m = 3

b. t = −2 d. s = − 1
2

9. Make sentences that can be stated in the

following equations.
a. 2x + 5 = 6 c. n + (n +1) + (n +2) = 27

b. –4x – 2 = x + 4 d. 1 = 4 + k
k

Mathematics for Junior High School – Year 7 / 145

146 / Student’s Book – Linear Equations and Inequalities with One Variable