Substitution code breaker – brackets, indices and fractions

Last updated: 15/11/2023
Contributor: Teachit Author
Substitution code breaker – brackets, indices and fractions
Main Subject
Key stage
Category
Algebra: Algebraic skills
Inside
Includes answers
Resource type
Student activity

Substitute the positive values into the expressions, checking the correct order of operations to deal with single brackets, powers and algebraic fractions.

The hidden message is a rather lovely Maths joke!

All reviews

Have you used this resource?

Sorry, didn't explain that well at all.
I meant to say it's not the sheet at fault, its just that some students got themselves confused by the first calculation in the way I mentioned above because they they were unsure of the concept of dividing by 0 so ended up using the code instead of the given value. Just worth checking they have that concept secure.

Kate Bentley

19/10/2020

5

19/10/2020

VERY CONFUSING FOR STUDENT
Had a problem with this. Some of the calculations use the values for a, b,c and d given at the very top of the page but some use the values in the code instead:
11c/a uses c= 2 and a = 0 from code to get 22 (W)
ab-8 uses a = 5 and b=3 from the top values given to get 7 (H)

Kate Bentley

19/10/2020

Thank you so much -just what I was looking for.

13/10/2016

Sorry, didn't explain that well at all.
I meant to say it's not the sheet at fault, its just that some students got themselves confused by the first calculation in the way I mentioned above because they they were unsure of the concept of dividing by 0 so ended up using the code instead of the given value. Just worth checking they have that concept secure.

Kate Bentley

19/10/2020

5

19/10/2020

VERY CONFUSING FOR STUDENT
Had a problem with this. Some of the calculations use the values for a, b,c and d given at the very top of the page but some use the values in the code instead:
11c/a uses c= 2 and a = 0 from code to get 22 (W)
ab-8 uses a = 5 and b=3 from the top values given to get 7 (H)

Kate Bentley

19/10/2020

Thank you so much -just what I was looking for.

13/10/2016

This is a great resource for practice at substitution.

22/04/2014

5

5

5

5

5