How to Solve Literal Equations Algebra Lesson 2

Literal equations, simply put, are equations containing two or more variables. Your goal is to solve for just one variable with respect to others. If you know how to solve regular equations, then I guarantee you that solving literal equations will be a breeze.

What is a Literal Equation?

A literal equation is an equation that involves more than one variable. More so, a variable or “literal” is a math symbol that represents an arbitrary value or number. The letters in the alphabet are usually used to represent variables such as $a$, $b$, $c$, $x$, $y$, and $z$. To solve a literal equation means to express one variable with respect to the other variables in the equation.

Key in Solving Literal Equations

The “heart” of solving a literal equation is to isolate or keep by itself a certain variable on one side of the equation (either left or right) and the rest on the opposite side.

If you know how to solve regular One-Step Equations, Two-Step Equations, and Multi-Step Equations, the process of solving literal equations is very similar.