Hot X: Algebra Exposed!

by Danica McKellar

Overview

Actress and New York Times bestselling author Danica McKellar tackles the most feared of all math classes—algreba—in this helpful algebra workbook that’s perfect for high school math students. 

Algebra: The word alone has been known to strike fear in the hearts of even the best students, but help is here! With her two earlier books, Math Doesn't Suck and Kiss My Math, actress and math genius Danica McKellar shattered the “math nerd” stereotype and empowered girls to conquer middle-school math and pre-algebra.

Sizzling with McKellar's trademark sass and style, Hot X: Algebra Exposed shows high schoolers how to master algebra topics like square roots, polynomials, quadratic equations, word problems, and more. In addition to fun extras like personality quizzes, reader polls, and boy-crazy confessionals, Hot X includes:

• Time-saving tips and tricks
• Sample problems with detailed solutions
• Relatable real-world examples

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780452297197
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	06/28/2011
Pages:	432
Sales rank:	152,126
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)
Lexile:	950L (what's this?)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Danica McKellar is a New York Times bestselling author of groundbreaking math books, including Math Doesn't Suck: How to Survive Middle School Math, Girls Get Curves: Geometry Takes Shape, Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who's Boss, Hot X: Algebra Exposed!, and the Goodnight, Numbers series of children's books, and is a summa cum laude graduate of UCLA with a degree in mathematics. She is also well known for her acting roles on The Wonder Years, The West Wing, and multiple Hallmark Channel movies, and as a quarterfinalist on Dancing with the Stars. She lives with her family in Los Angeles.

Table of Contents

Hot Topics

AcknowledgmentsviHot… X?xiFAQs: How to Use This Bookxiii

PART 1: MEET THE VARIABLES

Chapter 2: Happy Birthday to Me
GCFs and LCMs with Variables
15Chapter 3: Listen to Your Gut
Factoring with Variables
30CONFESSIONAL: Are You Boy Crazy? ON THE COVER39Chapter 4: Meow Mix
Rational Expressions: Fractions with Variables in Them
42Chapter 5: Eating Pizza in the Dark
Adding and Subtracting Fractions with Variables
57QUIZ: Are You Bold or Shy? ON THE COVER72

PART 2: SOLVING FOR X

Chapter 6: Your Holiday Shopping List
Strategies for Solving for X
76Chapter 7: How Picky Are You?
Solving Equations with Absolute Value
91Chapter 8: Control Freaks, Unite!
Solving Inequalities with Absolute Value
99MOOD ZAPPER: Take Control of Your Feelings!113

PART 3: FUNCTIONS, GRAPHING, AND SYSTEMS OF EQUATIONS

Chapter 9: Can You Keep a Secret?
Functions and Relations
116Chapter 10: They’re Going Steady
Equations of Lines, and Graphing Lines and Linear Inequalities
130Chapter 11: Mystery Woman
Writing Equations for Lines, Including Parallel/Perpendicular Lines
147Chapter 12: Little Miss People Pleaser
Solving and Graphing Systems of Linear Equations
164CONFESSIONAL: Dumbing Ourselves Down—the Sequel!182

PART 4: WORD PROBLEMS

Chapter 13: The Guy of Your Dreams
Motion Problems: Using r . t = d
184Chapter 14: Dip in the Pool, Anyone?
Rate of Work Problems
198Chapter 15: Savvy Business Chick
Word Problems: Percents and Simple Interest
208Chapter 16: The Perfect Party Snack
Word Problems Involving Mixtures
224

PART 5: EXPONENTS AND SQUARE ROOTS

Chapter 17: Ms. Exponent Gets Her Whip
The Product, Power, and Quotient Rules for Exponents
239Chapter 18: Keep Your Day Job
Negative (and Zero) Exponents
257Chapter 19: The Benefi ts of a Diary
Intro to Square Roots and Radical Expressions
273CONFESSIONAL: How Can I Focus and Avoid Distractions? 291

PART 6: POLYNOMIALS

Chapter 20: Chocolates for Breakfast
Intro to Polynomials and Adding/Subtracting Them
294Chapter 21: A Day at the Hair Salon
Multiplying Polynomials and the FOIL Method
309Chapter 22: The Jewelry Dilemma
Factoring Trinomials with Reverse FOIL and Grouping
323Chapter 23: Boyfriend or "Special" Friend
Factoring Special Polynomials
343QUIZ: Take Control of Your Feelings!348

PART 7: QUADRATIC EQUATIONS

Chapter 24: Puppies, Please?
Solving Quadratic Equations by Factoring
353Chapter 25: The Lemonade Stand
Solving Quadratic Equations by Completing the Square
369Chapter 26: What You Can Learn at the Mall
Using the Quadratic Formula
385

A Final Word397Appendix398Answer Key402Index 413About the Author418

Editorial Reviews

A cross between a math class and a slumber party, and a perky, self-affirming slumber party at that: interspersed among the math are anecdotes about boys and testimonials about struggles and triumphs with math... McKellar exhorts her readers to be smart and confident... I found myself wishing that Ms. McKellar, who makes math relevant without dumbing it down, would cover the rest of the high school math curriculum.”—Kenneth Chang, The New York Times

“A must-have for any teen or tween girl who feels nervous about algebra class this year.”—The Washington Post

“McKellar...may well have done more to encourage girls to stick with math than any government task force...the wildly enthusiastic response [her books] have received speaks to the effect that can be achieved by reworking the contents of standard math and science problems and countering the perception that boys won't like girls who are smart.”—Eileen Pollack, The New York Times

“As far as math goes, McKellar knows her stuff...Facing down a 432-page book devoted to algebra could give even math whizzes pause, but McKellar makes it work, taking the textbook-meets-Seventeen approach by mixing the explanations and equations with boy talk, quizzes, and testimonials from successful women. While a tutor might use this title as a teaching aid, teen girls will want to explore iton their own. Navigation is easy; students are encouraged to hop from chapter to chapter as their homework demands. The breakdown of equations is effective and certainly unconventional—explaining functions in terms of sausage factories, for example, or exponents in terms of whip-bearing female executives (makes sense in the book, promise)—and while McKellar keeps her focus on how to solve math problems, her approach is both readable and even entertaining.”—Courtney Jones, Booklist

From the Publisher