5. Formulas and Literal Equations
It is very common in science and engineering to have a formula that needs re-arranging so that a variable that is originally on the right hand side becomes the subject of the formula, on the left.
In this section, we need to find an expression (involving letters and numbers) which is equal to a particular given letter. [Hence literal equation].
We simply solve the equation like we did in the previous
Solving Equations section, by balancing both sides.
Example 1
We recall the area of a rectangle with width w and height h.
A = w × h
Express the formula in terms of the height.
Example 2
The area of a circle is given by
A = π r2
Solve for r.
Example 3
Solve A1 = A(M + 1) for M.
Example 4
Solve the following for T1:
T = 3(T2 − T1)
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