If you are looking for practice worksheets, a good question to ask yourself is do I have a problem with matrix solutions? Well, not all people who use matrices are matrix specialists.
A lot of people can solve problems in an algebra class and maybe know how to draw a graph. Sometimes they’ll be lucky enough to get an A+ for the first time they tried and other times they will fail miserably. Matrices are a useful thing to have in any math class and have been used for years in mathematical problems that a regular person could easily solve.
Before you get discouraged by matrices as a solution to a problem, you should see the different methods of solving systems of equations. This is so you can decide if you are more interested in the visual aspects of a graph or in the mathematical representation of it.
Let’s say you have a table problem that needs solving. You have already determined that the answer must be positive and that the equation must be a line graph. How do you go about solving it?
The first step you can take is to break the problem down into steps. When solving problems this way, each step will become a problem and you will solve each one separately. For example, you may not be able to find the exact solutions for each step until you go through all the steps.
The second step is to begin by using an area rule. An area rule basically states that if there is a positive answer to a question then there must be some space between those numbers. This allows you to separate the steps from each other.
Once you have separated the steps from each other, it is time to begin to put the work sheet together. Remember to keep the answers positive. This means that the result has to be positive and that the distance between the lines must be negative.
Now you can go through all the steps again with the matrices, but this time go through them with the matrices on the work sheet. Hopefully you will be able to find a good solution that will help you solve the problem. All the more reason to use matrices!
