Math 152 Chapter 1 Handout Helene Payne

Name:

Roster Notation:
List elements of a set inside braces {}, separated by commas.

The Set of Natural Numbers: {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, . . .}

The Set of Whole Numbers: {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, . . .}
The Set of Integers: {. . . , −5, −4, −3, −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, . . .}

Set-Builder Notation:
Elements of a set are not listed but described.
n a o
The Set of Rational Numbers:  a and b are integers and b 6= 0

b
∈ - is an element of
∈
/ - is not an element of

3 ∈ {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
1
∈
/ {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
3
50 ∈ {x|x is an integer}
−5 ∈ {x|x is a rational number}
1. Use the roster method to list the following sets:
(a) The set of whole numbers less than 8.
{ }
(b) The set of integers greater than −3 and less or equal to 5.
{ }
2. Write the following sets using set-builder notation.
(a) The set of real numbers greater than 2.
{
(b) The set of real numbers greater than or equal to 4 and less than 7.
{
Math 152 Chapter 1 Handout Helene Payne

Equations versus Expressions

Equations have an equal sign in the middle and two sides!
When we solve an equation, the equal sign stays in the middle and we
work top to bottom like an elevator.
Example:

4x − 17 = −5
4x − 17 + 17 = −5 + 17
4x = 12
4x 12
=
4 4
x = 3

Expressions do not have an equal sign!

When we simplify expression, we should use an equal sign between each
step.
Example:

4x − 17 + x − 5 + 2
= 4x + x − 17 − 5 + 2
= 5x − 17 − 5 + 2
= 5x − 22 + 2
= 5x − 20

3. Equation or Expression? Circle One

(a) 2x − 5 + 7 − 7x2 equation/expression
5x − 3
(b) equation/expression
x+2
(c) x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 5 + x + y equation/expression
(d) 3x = 2 equation/expression
√
(e) x + 5 equation/expression

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Math 152 Chapter 1 Handout Helene Payne

4. Write the phrase as an algebraic expression. Let x represent the unknown

number.

Addition + Subtraction - Multiplication Division ÷,/

×,·
sum difference product quotient
plus minus times divide
increased by decreased by of (with fractions, per
percent
more than less than twice ratio

(a) The sum of a number and twelve.

(b) The difference of a number and ten.

(c) Twenty less than twice a number.

(d) The quotient of eight times a number and five.

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Math 152 Chapter 1 Handout Helene Payne

5. Evaluate and/or simplify the expressions below.

ORDER OF OPERATIONS

P = parenthesis, absolute values

E = exponents, roots
DM = division and multiplication from left to right
SA = subtraction and addition from left to right
 
3 −3
(a) − −
5 4

(b) −24

(c) (−2)4

(d) −(−3)3

(e) −|22 − 7|

(f) 10 − 4(2)2 + 18 ÷ 2 · 3

7 · 32 − | − 12| ÷ 4
(g)
6(| − 7| − 2)

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Math 152 Chapter 1 Handout Helene Payne

52 + 4 ÷ 2
(h) (6 − 9)(8 − 12) ÷ 2
8 − 92 + 8

6. Simplify each expression by combining like terms.

(a) 4(2y − 1) − 2(3y + 7)

(b) 18x2 + 4 − 2[5x(x2 − x) + 5]

7. Evaluate the following expressions for x = 3 and y = −1

(a) 3x − 2y − 12

(b) x2 − y 2 + 3

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Math 152 Chapter 1 Handout Helene Payne

8. Solve each equation.

(a) 2x + 7 = 11

x 3x
(b) = +5
2 4

x+1 1 2−x
(c) = +
4 6 3

(d) 0.5x − (0.2x − 0.8) = 3.5

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Math 152 Chapter 1 Handout Helene Payne

9. Solve each equation. Is it (i) conditional (one solution) (ii) an identity

(an infinite number of solutions), or (iii) a contradiction (no solution)?
(a) 3x − 9 = x + 3

(b) 3(x − 5) + 3 = 2x + 5 + x

(c) 4y − 5 = 2(y − 3) + 1 + 2y

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Math 152 Chapter 1 Handout Helene Payne

10. Write the following sentence using mathematical symbols, then solve the
equation using the 5 steps. The quotient of y and two is equal to eight
subtracted from twice y.

11. Solve the formula for the area of a box with length, l, width w and height
h: A = 2lw + 2lh + 2wh for h.

12. Find the (i) opposites and (ii)reciprocals of the numbers below:
(a) 5 (i) opposite: (ii) reciprocal:
7
(b) − (i) opposite: (ii) reciprocal:
13
(c) 0 (i) opposite: (ii) reciprocal:
(d) 1000(i) opposite: (ii) reciprocal:

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Math 152 Chapter 1 Handout Helene Payne

The Laws of Exponents

A. The Product Rule: am · an = am+n

am
B. The Quotient Rule: n = am−n , a 6= 0
a
C. The Zero Exponent Rule: a0 = 1, a 6= 0
1
D. The Negative Exponent Rule: a−n = , a 6= 0
an
E. The Power Rule: (am )n = am·n

F. The Power of a Product: (ab)m = am bm

 a n an
G. The Power of a Quotient: = n , b 6= 0
b b

13. Simplify the expressions below using the Laws of Exponents. Answer
with positive exponents.
(a) b7 · b4

(b) (4x3 )(3x4 )

y 11
(c) 5
y

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Math 152 Chapter 1 Handout Helene Payne

48x13 y 12
(d)
8x8 y 9

(e) 1000

(f) (5xy 21 )0

(g) 7x−7 y 5

(h) 6x6 y −2 z −1

2
4m2 n5

(i)
p3

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Math 152 Chapter 1 Handout Helene Payne

14. Write each number in decimal notation without the use of exponents.
(a) 6.1 × 106

(b) 3.8 × 10−3

(c) −8.3214 × 10−4

15. Write each number in scientific notation.

(a) 3500

(b) 6, 210, 000

(c) 0.0000000239

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Math 152 Chapter 1 Handout Helene Payne

16. Perform the computations below. Answer in scientific notation!

3.6 × 108
(a)
3 × 104

(b) (5 × 105 )(1.1 × 10−1 )

0.0000072
(c)
0.0000000008

(d) (120, 000, 000)(0.0000009)

Page 12
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