Algebra step repair trainer

This trainer takes you through a linear equation one move at a time. You choose the next valid step, and the tool explains why any other choice would break the equation.

It is for students who can follow a solution that is shown but freeze when they must choose the first move themselves.

How do I use it?

1. Choose a shape, such as ax + b = c, and type whole numbers from −99 to 99. The starting numbers give 2x + 3 = 11.
2. Press Start, or press Fresh example for a new equation with a whole-number answer.
3. Read the equation shown, then choose the next valid move from the list and press the tick button.
4. If the move is invalid, read the reason and choose again. If it is valid, the equation updates and the step is added to the trace.
5. Keep going until x is alone. The tool then checks the answer by putting it back into the original equation.

How does the tool work?

Each valid move does the same operation to both sides, so the equation stays balanced. The tool offers four choices: one valid move and three common wrong ones.

The valid move follows this order: remove the x term from the right side, then remove the constant from the left side, then divide to leave x on its own. A bracket, as in a(x + b) = c, is expanded first.

The wrong moves are slips that students really make: an operation on one side only, the wrong operation, and a term moved across the equals sign without changing its sign. All arithmetic uses exact fractions.

What does a worked example look like?

Start with 2x + 3 = 11. The valid first move is to subtract 3 from both sides, which gives 2x = 8.

The next move is to divide both sides by 2, which gives x = 4. The check is 2(4) + 3 = 11, so x = 4 works.

A tempting wrong first move is to subtract 3 from the left side only. The tool explains that the equation would then be unbalanced.

What can the tool not tell you?

It handles linear equations with whole-number coefficients, not quadratics, simultaneous equations or other expressions. It practises choosing the step, so it cannot replace writing out your working in your own book.

A correct answer here does not predict any exam result. It only shows which kinds of move you choose correctly.

How does it connect to the lessons?

The trainer supports repairing algebra before Form 4 Mathematics and rebuilding number sense before SPM algebra. If a correct calculation still ends with a wrong answer, read when the calculation is right but the final answer is wrong.

The next skill is turning words into an equation, covered in why I get stuck translating a word problem into mathematics. The word-problem structure worksheet helps with that step.

If you want a teacher to go through your own working, see Mathematics tuition or Additional Mathematics tuition. A one-hour trial class (from RM50) is a real taught lesson.