Date of Last Revision: February 25, 2008
MAT 0024 - BASIC ALGEBRA
Catalog Description:
(5) (CC). Three hours lecture and a one-hour meeting with your assigned lab instructor each week along with one hour
each week studying, doing homework, receiving tutoring, etc. in the Academic Resource Center. Prerequisite: MAT
0012 with a "C" or better or sufficient score on placement exam. This course includes basic algebra concepts and skills
that are needed for success in higher level courses. Topics include operations with real numbers, polynomials, rational
expressions, graphing, radicals, factoring and solving linear and quadratic equations and applications.
Performance Standards:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Define the sets of real numbers including natural, whole, integer, rational and irrational numbers.
2. Find the absolute value of a real number.
3. Evaluate using exponential notation.
4. Add, subtract, multiply and divide integers.
5. Add, subtract, multiply and divide rational numbers in both fraction and decimal form.
6. Understand and use the properties of the real numbers (commutative, associative and distributive) including the
special properties of 1 and 0.
7. Understand and use the order of operations over the natural, whole, integer and rational numbers.
8. Evaluate an algebraic expression by substitution.
9. Simplify an algebraic expression by collection of like terms.
10. Translate a phrase to an algebraic expression.
11. Solve linear equations in one variable using the addition and multiplication principles.
12. Solve application problems using linear equations.
13. Solve the 3 percent cases (finding a percent of a number, finding what percent one number is of another, finding the
base) using a single percent equation.
14. Solve linear inequalities in one variable.
15. Understand and use the rules for exponents including writing a number in scientific notation.
16. Define polynomials with one or more variables including degree.
17. Add, subtract, multiply and divide polynomials including special products such as 2 binomials, conjugate
binomials, and binomials squared.
18. Factor the greatest common factor given a polynomial.
19. Factor using grouping.
20. Factor trinomials of the type cbxax ++
2where a = 1, by trial and error.
21. Factor trinomials of the type cbxax ++
2where a โ 1, by trial and error or the grouping method.
22. Factor the difference of two squares and perfect trinomial squares.
23. Solve quadratic equations using the factoring method.
24. Solve application problems using quadratic equations.
25. Simplify rational expressions.
26. Solve a given proportion.
27. Set up and solve a proportion word problem.
28. Be familiar with the Cartesian plane and its quadrants.
29. Name and plot points on the Cartesian plane.
30. Determine x and y intercepts of lines.
31. Graph a line using the intercepts method or by plotting several points on the line.
32. Simplify square root radicals involving variables and numbers.
33. Addition and subtraction of like square root radical terms.
34. Use a scientific calculator for computations.
