Name: __________________

Algebra One Student Notes

3.5 Working With Sets
What will you learn in this lesson?

1)
2)

Algebra Benchmarks and Indicators

You will write sets and identify subsets

you will find the complement of the set

Lesson

CCSM Standard: A.REI.3

Solve linear equations and
inequalities in one variable,
including equations with
coefficients represented by
letters.

Part 1: Getting Ready!

1) Most numbers on a telephone keypad correspond to a set of letters. Suppose youre sending a text message. You
press 4,6,6, and 3 in that order-one number for each letter. What word might your telephone think youre trying
to spell? What words could you be trying to spell?
a) What are the possible letters available for each number?
4:

6:

3:

b) What four-letter words can you create using those letters?

Answer:
c) How can you be certain that you have not left out any possible words from your list?
Answer:

2) Define set.

a collection of distinct elements

3) Give an example of a set from the text example from above.
Answer:
4) Define subset.

contains elements from the set

5) Give an example of a subset from the answer given in #4.
Answer:
6) Define roster form

a way to write a set by listing the elements of a set

within braces, { }.
Created by Megan Lantz

Algebra One Student Notes

3.5 Working With Sets
7) Define set-builder notation

another way to write a set by describing the

properties an element must have to be included in the
set.
Part 2: Using Roster Form and Set-Builder Notation
8) T is the set of natural numbers that are less than 6.

a) What are natural numbers? _______________________________________________________

b) Which inequality sign would you need to use? _________
Roster Form

Set-Builder Notation

9) N is the set of even natural numbers that are less than or equal to 12.
Roster Form

Set-Builder Notation

10) How are roster form and set-builder notation different? ____________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________

Part 3: Inequalities and Set-Builder Notation

11) In set-builder notation, how do you write the solution of -5x + 7 17?

Set-Builder Notation: ________________________________________________

12) In set-builder notation, how do you write the solution of 9 4n > 21?

Set-Builder Notation: ________________________________________________

Part 4: Finding Subsets

Created by Megan Lantz

Algebra One Student Notes

3.5 Working With Sets
13) Define empty set.

also known as the null set; the set that contains NO

elements
14)

The _________________ __________ IS a _______________ of EVERY

___________.
USE ______ or ______________ to represent the empty set.
15) What are all the subsets of the set {3, 4, 5}?
a) Remember that the empty set is ALWAYS a subset. ___________________
b) List the subsets with one element: ___________________________________________________
c) List the subsets with two elements: __________________________________________________
d) List the original set. It is ALWAYS considered a subset. __________________________________
16) There are a total of __________ subsets. The subsets of the set {3, 4, 5} are:
______________________________________________________________________________________
17) a) What are the subsets of the set P = {a, b}?_____________________________________________
b) What are the subsets of the set S = {a, b, c}?__________________________________________
c) Why are all of the subsets of P also a subset of S? _________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
d) Let A = {x|x < 3} and B = {x|x 0}. Is A a subset of B?
Write out the sets of each:
A:_______________________________
Is A a subset of B?_________

B: ___________________________________

Explain: ___________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Part 5: Finding the Complement of A Set

18) Define universal set.

the largest set you are using

19) Define complement of a set.

set of all elements in the universal set that ARE NOT in

the set; usually notated by A
Created by Megan Lantz

Algebra One Student Notes

3.5 Working With Sets
20) Universal set U = {king, queen, bishop, knight, rook, pawn} and set A is the set of chess pieces that move side
to side. What is the complement of set A?

a)
Which pieces

are in

set A?
_________________________________________________________
Explain: ______________________________________________________________________
c) Which pieces would then be in the complement of set A? __________________________________
Explain: ___________________________________________________________________
21) Universal set U = {months of the year} and set A = {months with exactly 31 days}. What is the complement of
set A? Write your answer in roster form.
a) Which months are in set A?_________________________________________________________
Explain: _______________________________________________________________________
b) Which months (in roster form) would then be in the complement of set A?
_________________________________________________________________________
Explain: _______________________________________________________________________
22) ESSENTIAL UNDERSTANDING

________ are the basis of mathematical language. You

can _________ sets in _____________ ways and form
_______________ sets of ______________ from a
_________________ set. You can also
________________ the ______________ that ARE
________ in a given set.
Created by Megan Lantz