CHAPTER 3

LINEAR EQUATIONS

3.1 Solutions of Linear Equations in One Unknown

 Solve linear equations = Finding the value of the unknown which satisfies the equation.
 The solution of the equation is also known as the root of the equation.
 A linear equation in one unknown has only one root.
 To determine whether a given value is a solution of an equation, substitute the value into the
equation. If the sum of the left hand side (LHS) = sum of right hand side (RHS), then the
given value is a solution.

3.2 Solving Linear Equations in One Unknown through the operations +, – ,  and 
There are 4 different forms of linear equation as follows :

Type Equation Operation Solution

I x+a=b – x=b–a
II x–a=b + x=b+a
III ax = b  x=
b
a
IV x  x=a  b
 b, a  0
a

Examples :
30
-5x = 30  x = = -6
5
x+2=6x=6–2=4 x
x–3=4x=4+3+7 2
=6x=6  2 = 12
12
4x = 12  x = =3
4 x
8
=3x=3  (-8) = -24

3.3 Solving Linear Equations in One Unknown involving combined operations of +, – ,  and 
Linear equations in the form of ax + b = c

Steps :
1. Work on the bracket first, if there is any.
2. Group the terms with the unknown on the left hand side of the equation while the numbers on the
equation using combined operations.
3. Solve the equation using combined operations.
4. Check your solution by substituting the value into the original equation.

Linear Equations 1
Common Mistake

1.
WRONG RIGHT
a. x–2=7 a. x–2=7

x =7–2 x =7+2
x = 5 x = 9

b. y + 6 =1 b. y + 6 =1
y = 1 + 6 y = 1–6
y = 7 y = -5

c. 2m = 10 c. 2m = 10
m = 10 x 2 m = 10  2
m = 20 m = 5

1 1
d. n = 16 d. n = 16
4 4
1 1
n = 16 x
4
n = 16  4
n = 4 n = 64

2.
WRONG RIGHT
a. a.
2 - (w + 5) = 4 2 – (w + 5) = 4
2 - w + 5 = 4 2–w–5 = 4
2 + 5 - 4 =w 2–5–4 = w
3 = w -7 = w

b. b.
-3(w – 2) = 7 -3 (w – 2 ) = 7
-3w - 6 = 7 -3w + 6 = 7
-3w = 7+6 -3w = 7–6
w 13 w 1
=  = 
3 3

c. c.
5 – 2 2 (w – 1 ) = 6 5 – 2 (w – 1 ) = 6
3 (w – 1 ) = 6 5 – 2w + 2 = 6
3w – 3 = 6 5 + 2–6 = 2w
3w = 6+ 3 1 = 2w
9 1 = w
=
w 3 2
w = 3

Addition / Subtraction
Linear Equations 2
 EXAMPLE EXERCISE 1
1. m – 3 = 5 1. m – 8 = 6
m = 5 + 3
m = 8

2. m + 4 = 7 2. m + 3 = 9
m = 7–4
m = 3

3. -3 + m = -2 3. -5 + m = 3
m = -2 + 3
m = 1

4. 3 + m = -2 4. 2 + m = -3
m = -2 – 3
m = -5

5. 7 = m–3 5. 3 = m–7
7 + 3 = m
10 = m
m = 10

6. -7 = m–3 6. 3 = m + 6
-7 + 3 = m
-4 = m
m = -4

7. 6 = -3 + m 7. 3 = -6 + m
6 + 3 = m
9 = m
m = 9

8. -6 = 3 + m 8. -3 = 7 + m
-6 – 3 = m
-9 = m
m = -9

Addition / Subtraction
Linear Equations 3
 EXAMPLES EXERCISE 2
1. 5 = 6–m 1. 6 = 7–m

m = 6–5
m = 1

2. -5 = 6 - m 2. -6 = 5–m

m = 6 + 5
m = 11

3. 5 = -m + 6 3. 6 = -m+8

m = 6–5
m = 1

4. -5 = -m + 6 4. -6 = - m + 5

m = 6 + 5
m = 11

5. 5–m = 1 5. 1–m = 5

5–1 = m
4 = m

6. 5–m = -2 6. 2 – m = -5

5 + 2 = m
7 = m

1 1 2 1
7. m– = 7. m + =
2 4 3 3

1 1
m = 
4 2

3
m =
4

EXERCISE 3 EXERCISE 4
Linear Equations 4
 1. x + 1 = 10 3 1
1. w + =
4 2

2. 2 + x = -2 1 1
2. w– =
4 3

3. x–4 = 3 2
3. w–1 =
3

4. u–9 = -11 1
4. w + = 2
5

5. -u + 2 = 3 1
5. 2 + w =
2

6. 4–u = 7 1
6. 2 = w–
3

7. 4 = 3–u 1
7. 1 – 4w = – 5w
3

Division
Linear Equations 5
 EXAMPLES EXERCISE 1
1. 2m = 8 1. 3m = 8
8
m =
2
m = 4

2. 2m = -8 2. 3m = 5
8
m =
2
m = -4

3. -2m = 8 3. -4m = 7
8
m =
2
m = -4

4. -2m = -8 4. -4m = -9
8
m =
2
m = 4

1 1
5. m = 4 5. m = 5
2 3
1
m = 4  2
m = 2

1 1
6. m = -4 6. m = -5
2 3
1
m = -4  2
m = -8

2 2
7.  m = 6 7.  m = 10
3 5
2
m = 6  3
m = -9

2 2
8.  m = -6 8.  m = - 10
3 5
2
m = 6  3
m = 9

Multiplication

EXAMPLES EXERCISE 1

Linear Equations 6
 m m
1. = 2 1. = 3
5 2
m = 25
m = 10

m m
2. = -2 2. = -3
5 7
m = -25
m = -10

m m
3.  = 2 3.  = 3
5 7
m = 2  ( 5)
m = -10

m m
4.  = -2 4.  = -3
5 7
m = -25
m = 10

m 1 m 3
5. = 5. =
3 2 7 2
1
m = 3
2
3
m =
2

m 1 m 3
6.  =  6.  = 
3 2 6 2
1
m =   ( 3)
2
3
m =
2

7. –m = 6 7. –m = 10
m = 6  ( 1)
m = -6

8. –m = -6 8. –m = -10
m =  6  ( 1)
m = 6

Solve each of the following equation:

EXAMPLES EXERCISE 5
1. 4p = 12 1. -6p = 1
12
p =
4
Linear Equations 7
 p = 3

1 w 4
2. w = 6 2.  
3 9 3
1
w = 6
3
w = 18

3. 1 - 2w = 5 2
3. 1 - w = 
3
1 - 5 = 2w
4
= w
2
-2 = w

w w
4.  + 1 = 4 4. 5 = 2 +
2 3
w
 = 4–1
2
w
 = 3
2

w = 3 2 = 6

5. 2n + 1 = n + 6 5. 2n + 1 = 2 – n

2n – n = 6–1
n = 5

6. 5m – 2 = 2m–1 6. 5m + 2 = 4 – 2m

5m – 2m = -1 + 2
3m = 1
1
m =
3

7. 1 – 2m = 4 m – 3 7. 7m – 3 = 2m–8
1 + 3 = 4m + 2m
4 = 6m
4
= m
6
2
= m
3

EXAMPLES EXERCISE 6
m3 w6
1. = 6 1. = 9
2 2
m + 3 = 6 2
m + 3 = 12
m = 12 – 3
m = 9
Linear Equations 8
 m3 w3
2. = -6 2. = -2
2 6
m + 3 = -6 2
m + 3 = -12
m = -12 – 3
m = -15

2m  1 2w  1
3. = 5 3. = -3
7 7
2m – 1 = 5  7
2m – 1 = 35
2m = 35 + 1
36
m = = 18
2

9m 1 2w
4. 2 = 4. =
4 3 6
2 4 = 9 – m
m = 9–8
m = 1
1 2m  1 2 2w
5. = 5.  =
3 9 3 6
1
 9 = 2m + 1
3
3 – 1 = 2m
2 = 2m
2
= m
2

m 1 2w  1
6. = m 6. 2w =
3 4
m + 1 = m3
m + 1 = 3m
1 = 3m – m
1 = 2m
1
= m
2

EXAMPLES EXERCISE 7
1. 4 ( m – 2 ) = 1 1. 3 ( k – 2 ) = 4
4m – 8 = 1
4m = 1 + 8
4m = 9
9
m =
4

2. 4 = 2 ( m + 1) 2. 24 = 3 ( k + 1)
Linear Equations 9
 4 = 2m + 2
4–2 = 2m
2 = 2m
2
= m
2
1 = m

3. 3 ( 1 + m ) - 2 = 4 3. 2 ( 1 + k ) - 4 = 2
3 + 3m - 2 = 4
3m = 4 - 3 + 2
3m = 3
3m = 3
3
m = = 1
3

4. 2 - 3(2 + m) = 4 4. 4 - 2(2k + 3) = 2
2 - 6 - 3m = 4
2 - 6 - 4 = 3m
-8 = 3m
8
 = m
3

5. 2 - (2 + m) = 4 5. 3 - (k + 4) = -2
2 - 2 - m = 4
-m = 4
m = -4

6. 3 - (2 - m) = 4 6. 3 - (4 - 2k) = 2
3 - 2 + m = 4
m = 4 - 3 + 2
m = 3

7. m + 5 = 2 - 3(2m - 1) 7. 2k + 2 = 7 - 3(k + 5)
m + 5 = 2 - 6m + 3
m + 6m = 2 + 3- 5
7m = 0
0
m= = 0
7

EXERCISE 8 EXERCISE 9
m  10 1. 2k + 5 = 1 – ( k + 5)
1. = m
3

Linear Equations 10
 2 2. 1 – 2(1 – k ) = k + 2
2. w = -3
3

1 3. 3 = 4k – 3( k + 2)
3. 4 = 1– w
3

2 4. 7 – ( 3k + 5) = 3k
4. = 8
w

3 5. 2– 4k = -3 ( k – 2)
5. – 2 = 1
w

3w  1 4 6. k– 4 = 2(4–k)
6. =
w 3

Questions based on examination format

2
1. Given that m + 2 = 6, then m =
3
A. 6 B. 8 C. 10 D. 12

7m  2
2. Given that = −3, then m =
4

Linear Equations 11
 A. -4 B. -2 C. 2 D. 4

4m  3
3. Given that  7 = −4, then m =
5
A. -6 B. -4 C. 3 D. 6

2
4. Given that m 1 = 9, then m =
5
A. 4 B. 20 C. 25 D. 50

1
5. Given that (1 − 6q) + 9 = 4(q − 3), therefore q =
3
32 16
A. B. C. 18 D. 32
9 3

2p
6. Given that − 3 = 5, then p =
5
A. 20 B. 10 C. 5 D. 1

1
7. Given that m + 1 = 5, then m =
4
A. 1 B. 16 C. 19 D. 24

8. Given that 6 − 2(m − 3) = m, then m =

A. 0 B. 1 C. 3 D. 4

3  5k
9. Given that = 2k + 3, then k =
4
A. 0 B. -2 C. -3 D. -5
2
10. Given that 4 - (6k – 1) = 3k, then k =
3
1 2 5 7
A. B. C. D.
3 3 3 3
1
11. Given that (m + 3) = 4 - 2(m + 5), therefore m =
3
A. -3 B. -2 C. -1 D. 0

12. Given that 2(3q + 7) - 3(q − 2) = -1, therefore q =

A. -2 B. -7 C. 4 D. 5
Linear Equations 12
 13. Given that 3(1 − 2p) = 2(4p − 9), therefore p =
2 3 6 3
A. B. C. D.
3 4 5 2
m
14. Given that 2 - = m - 2, then m =
3
A. 6 B. 3 C. 0 D. -3
y
15. Given that 2 - = 4, then y =
3
A. 10 B. 6 C. -6 D. -10
1
16. Given that x – 2 = 6, then x =
8
A. 1 B. 32 C. 64 D. 81
2k
17. Solve the equation + 3 = k – 2.
7
1 1 3
A. B. 3 C. 3 D. 7
7 2 4
18. Solve the equation 9m + 5(m – 2) = 60.
4 1 1
A. 3 B. 5 C. 12 D. 17
7 2 2
2m
19. Solve the equation + 2 = – 2.
3
A. -12 B. -6 C. 0 D. 24
2
20. Given that 2 - p = - 6, then p =
3
A. 6 B. 12 C. -6 D. -12

Past Year SPM Questions

November 2003
1
1. Given that p + 1 = 4, then p =
3
A. 1 B. 9 C. 11 D. 15

July 2004

2. Given that 7(k – 3) = 1 – 4k, then k =

4 4
A. 2 B. 7 C. D.
3 11

November 2004

Linear Equations 13
3. Given that 3k – 4 = 5(2 – k ) then k =
7 7
A. -7 B. -3 C. D.
2 4

July 2005
h 5
4. Given that  , then h =
2 4
8 5 5 3
A. B. C. D.
5 8 2 2

November 2005

5. Given that 10 – 3(2 – w) = 9w + 2, calculate the value of w.

1 1 1 2
A. B. C. D.
6 4 3 5

July 2006

6. Given that 9 – 3(k – 2) = 0 , then k =

A. 1 B. 2 C. 5 D. 8

November 2006
5
7. Given that  4k  2(3  k ), then k =
2
17 17 17 17
A. B. C. D.
12 10 6 4

Linear Equations 14