Algebra I For Dummies

INTRODUCTION 1
About This Book 2
Foolish Assumptions 3
Icons Used in This Book 3
Beyond the Book 4
Where to Go from Here 4

PART 1: STARTING OFF WITH THE BASICS 5
CHAPTER 1: Assembling Your Tools 7
CHAPTER 2: Assigning Signs: Positive and Negative Numbers 17
CHAPTER 3: Figuring Out Fractions and Dealing with Decimals 33
CHAPTER 4: Exploring Exponents and Raising Radicals 53
CHAPTER 5: Doing Operations in Order and Checking Your Answers 71

PART 2: FIGURING OUT FACTORING 89
CHAPTER 6: Working with Numbers in Their Prime 91
CHAPTER 7: Sharing the Fun: Distribution 105
CHAPTER 8: Getting to First Base with Factoring 123
CHAPTER 9: Getting the Second Degree 135
CHAPTER 10: Factoring Special Cases 155

PART 3: WORKING EQUATIONS 169
CHAPTER 11: Establishing Ground Rules for Solving Equations 171
CHAPTER 12: Solving Linear Equations 183
CHAPTER 13: Taking a Crack at Quadratic Equations 203
CHAPTER 14: Distinguishing Equations with Distinctive Powers 223
CHAPTER 15: Rectifying Inequalities 243

PART 4: APPLYING ALGEBRA 263
CHAPTER 16: Taking Measure with Formulas 265
CHAPTER 17: Formulating for Profit and Pleasure 281
CHAPTER 18: Sorting Out Story Problems 293
CHAPTER 19: Going Visual: Graphing 311
CHAPTER 20: Lining Up Graphs of Lines 325

PART 5: THE PART OF TENS 343
CHAPTER 21: The Ten Best Ways to Avoid Pitfalls 345

GLOSSARY 359
INDEX 363