In this deck, we'll explore two important algebraic skills: expanding and factorising. Think of them as opposites, like addition and subtraction. Expanding removes brackets, while factorising puts them back in. Mastering both is key to handling more complex algebra later on.

Let's start with expanding. When you see a term outside a bracket, expanding means you multiply that outside term by every single term inside the bracket. For example, with the expression 3 times the quantity x plus 2, we multiply the 3 by the x, and we also multiply the 3 by the 2.

Let's work through that example: 3 times the quantity x plus 2. First, 3 times x gives us 3x. Then, 3 times 2 gives us 6. So, the expanded expression is 3x plus 6.