ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS

Problem:	Jeanne has $17 in her piggy bank. How much money does she need to buy a game that costs $68?
Solution:	Let x represent the amount of money Jeanne needs. Then the following equation can represent this problem:
	17 + x = 68
	We can subtract 17 from both sides of the equation to find the value of x.
	68 - 17 = x
Answer:	x = 51, so Jeanne needs $51 to buy the game.

In the problem above, x is a variable. The symbols 17 + x = 68 form an algebraic equation.