ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Elementary algebra

Elementary algebra is a type of math where we use letters like x and y (called variables) to represent different numbers. We also use symbols like + (plus), - (minus), * (multiply), and / (divide) to do different math operations.

For example, let's say you have 5 apples (we call this a constant). If we use the variable x to represent the number of apples you have, we could write x = 5. If you eat two apples, we could use the subtraction symbol to show that you have two less apples: x - 2 = 3 (since 5 - 2 = 3).

We can also use algebra to solve problems. For instance, if you want to know how many apples you'd have if you gave three away, we can use the symbol for subtraction: x - 3. But if we want to know how many apples you have in total, we can use the symbol for addition: x + 3 (since x - 3 + 3 = x).

So, elementary algebra is all about learning how to use letters and symbols to solve math problems and represent different values.