Algebra Pinball Jump to the Algebra Pinball Table

What is Algebra Pinball?

Algebra Pinball is a collection of 100 algebra and pre-algebra exercises with an option to time yourself. Master foundational algebra skills, and have fun!

Algebra Pinball is Part of a Complete Algebra Course

Algebra Pinball is part of a complete Algebra 1 course: ‘One Mathematical Cat, Please! A First Course in Algebra’. (You’re currently using the offline version of this course!) The complete course has over 175 lessons, and can be used for a year-long high school course. It has unlimited, randomly-generated practice in every lesson.

How to Use Algebra Pinball

$1.$  PRINT the pdf version of the Algebra Pinball table (which also appears below). Why? You’ll be hand-writing in your own Algebra Pinball times on this printed sheet!

$2.$  LEARN to use the exercises

Click on the first lesson (Expressions versus Sentences) in the Algebra Pinball Table. Read this short lesson. Or—if you want—click the audio icon next to the title and follow along with the highlighted text as I read it to you!

After reading the lesson, practice the first exercise, and then time yourself. Create an ‘Algebra Pinball Standard’ for yourself! For example, my students had these requirements:

• Do at least 20 problems.
• The number correct must be at least 90% of the number attempted. (This prevents clicking through problems quickly to get to the easiest ones...)

Record your first Algebra Pinball time on your printed Algebra Pinball Table!

History of Algebra Pinball

Algebra Pinball started in my days teaching at Miss Hall’s School (in Pittsfield, MA). I remember watching my students trying to beat a really fast time—their fingers were flying! It made me think of someone using a pinball machine, and thus was born ‘Algebra Pinball’.

Algebra Pinball can be used in many different ways! Use it just for yourself: chart progress towards mastery by increasingly faster times. Or, make it social with a family or classroom competition. No matter how it’s used, algebra skills will get better and better!

Explore

Every time you visit one of my lessons (online or offline), a random ‘mathematical cat’ appears to welcome you! Some of my mathematical cats decorate the first page of the Algebra Pinball Table below: each of these cats is a link (most require an internet connection) to help you explore my online web site. Enjoy!

Algebra Pinball Table

Row #	Algebra Pinball Exercise
25	Fractions Involving Zero
26	Finding Reciprocals
27	Determining if a Product is Positive or Negative
28	Multiplying and Dividing Fractions
29	Practice with the Form a(b/c)
30	More Practice with the Form a(b/c)
31	Practice With Multiples
32	Finding Least Common Multiples
33	Renaming Fractions with a Specified Denominator
34	Practice With Factors
35	Adding and Subtracting Fractions
36	Divisibility Equivalences
37	Prime Numbers
38	Relatively Prime Numbers and Related Concepts
39	Identifying Inequalities as True or False
40	Practice with the Phrases “at least” and “at most”
41	Identifying Inequalities with Variables as True or False
42	Solving Equations of the form $\,xy = 0$
43	Recognizing Zero and One
44	Writing Fractions in Simplest Form
45	Deciding if a Fraction is a Finite or Infinite Repeating Decimal
46	Deciding if Numbers are Equal or Approximately Equal
47	Rounding Decimals to a Specified Number of Places
48	Classifying Units as Length, Time, Volume, Weight/Mass
49	Practice with Unit Abbreviations
50	Practice with Unit Names
51	Practice with Unit Conversion Information
52	One-Step Conversions

Row #	Algebra Pinball Exercise
53	Practice with Exponents
54	Practice with Order of Operations
55	Taking PEMDAS Too Literally: Don’t Make This Mistake!
56	Basic Exponent Practice with Fractions
57	Practice with $x^mx^n = x^{m+n}$
58	Practice with $(x^m)^n = x^{mn}$
59	Practice with $\displaystyle\frac{x^m}{x^n} = x^{m-n}$
60	Practice with $\displaystyle x^{-p} = \frac{1}{x^p}$
61	One-Step Exponent Law Practice
62	Multi-Step Exponent Law Practice
63	Practice with Radicals
64	Approximating Radicals
65	Practice with Rational Exponents
66	Practice with $\,x\,$ and $\,-x\,$
67	Practice with Products of Signed Variables
68	Practice with the Distributive Law
69	Mental Math: Addition
70	Equal or Opposites?
71	Recognizing the Patterns $\,x^n\,$ and $\,(-x)^n\,$
72	Writing Expressions in the Form $\,kx^n$
73	Writing More Complicated Expressions in the Form $\,kx^n$
74	Writing Quite Complicated Expressions in the Form $\,kx^n$
75	Identifying Variable Parts and Coefficients of Terms
76	Combining Like Terms
77	Simplifying Expressions Like $\,-a(3b-2c-d)$
78	Basic FOIL

Row #	Algebra Pinball Exercise
79	More Complicated FOIL
80	Simplifying $\,(a+b)^2\,$ and $\,(a - b)^2$
81	Simplifying Expressions Like $\,(a-b)(c + d - e)$
82	Practice with the Mathematical Words and, or, and is equivalent to
83	Recognizing Products and Sums; Identifying Factors and Terms
84	Identifying Common Factors
85	Factoring Simple Expressions
86	Listing All the Factors of a Whole Number
87	Finding the Greatest Common Factor of 2 or 3 Numbers
88	Finding the Greatest Common Factor of Variable Expressions
89	Factoring Out the Greatest Common Factor
90	Solving Simple Linear Equations with Integer Coefficients
91	Solving More Complicated Linear Equations with Integer Coefficients
92	Solving Linear Equations Involving Fractions
93	Solving Linear Equations, All Mixed Up
94	Simplifying Basic Absolute Value Expressions
95	Determining the Sign (Plus or Minus) of Absolute Value Expressions
96	Identifying Perfect Squares
97	Factoring Trinomials
98	Identifying Quadratic Equations
99	Factoring Trinomials of the Form $\,ax^2 + bx + c\,$
100	Writing Expressions Involving Percent Increase and Decrease