Right Angles — Algebra
A Puzzle by David Pleacher



Determine the answer to each "definition" below.
Then write the word in the 12 by 12 matrix using the following rules:

  1. Each word makes one right-angle turn somewhere along its length. But you must determine where each word makes this turn and in which direction.
  2. As a guide, the starting direction (i.e., the direction of the word before its right angle turn) of each answer is indicated by the letter given after the clue number.
  3. Words can go North, South, East, or West to start with.
    For example, 1E begins on square 1 and heads East.
  4. Each letter in the correctly completed grid appears in only one word.

1E A statement that two quantities are equal. (EQUATION)
2S A polynomial with two unlike terms. (BINOMIAL)
3W The value of a variable when all other variables in the equation equal zero.
In a graph, the value where a relation crosses an axis. (INTERCEPT)
4W A number which can be expressed as the ratio of two integers. (RATIONAL)
5E A number or expression that divides exactly another number. (FACTOR)
6N Multiplicative inverse. (RECIPROCAL)
7N Countable. (FINITE)
8W A number that indicates how many times another number is used as a factor. (EXPONENT)
9E A number from the set {..., -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, ...} (INTEGER)
10N An algebraic expression containing many terms. (POLYNOMIAL)
11W A symbol that represents a number. (VARIABLE)
12S An expression that compares two numbers. (RATIO)
13E Two lines are parallel if their ____ are equal. (SLOPES)
14S All rational and irrational numbers. (REAL)
15S A polynomial with three unlike terms. (TRINOMIAL)
16S A set of ordered pairs in which each x-value has a unique y-value. (FUNCTION)
17E The difference in the y-values. (RISE)
18E A sentence that states that two expressions are not equal. (INEQUALITY)
19E The answer to a subtraction problem. (DIFFERENCE)



Send any comments or questions to: David Pleacher