Check algebra homework you already finished
TutorMate checks algebra you have already worked. Photograph the page and it reads each answer, states the correct value, and explains the step that failed. Open it after you have an answer on the page, not instead of trying. Your first 10 checks are free.
A distribution error, worked by hand
This is the kind of finished work the checker is for. The arithmetic below is a textbook example written for this page. It is not a screenshot and not a recorded TutorMate response. The recording of the actual product is the demo on the homepage.
Solve 3(x - 2) = 15.
A finished attempt that drops the distribution
- 3(x - 2) = 15
- 3x - 2 = 15
- 3x = 17
- x = 17/3
Line 2 is the mistake. Multiplying only the x by 3 leaves the 2 untouched, so the rest of the arithmetic is solving a different equation. Checking that result fails: 3(17/3 - 2) = 3(17/3 - 6/3) = 3(11/3) = 11, which is not 15.
The correct steps
- 3(x - 2) = 15
- 3x - 6 = 15, because 3 times -2 is -6
- 3x = 21
- x = 7
Check: 3(7 - 2) = 3(5) = 15. The correct value is x = 7.
What you actually get back
For each question on the page, the check is organized as the problem, the answer it could read, the correct answer, and a short explanation of how to get there. On a page like the one above, the useful part is not only "x = 7". It is seeing that the 3 never reached the second term. Numeric answers within 0.01 of the correct value count as a match, so ordinary rounding is not marked wrong. A result such as 17/3 is not within 0.01 of 7.
Handwritten algebra is supported. A clear photo of the whole page is more reliable than a crop of one line or a shot with a heavy shadow. You can also upload an image, a PDF, or a Word document. The same page can be saved in a folder and opened later on the web or on the iPhone app.
How to check a finished algebra page
- Do the problems first. Leave the steps on the page. The explanation is about the method you used.
- Photograph the page. Use the browser or the iPhone app. Include the whole problem, not only the final line.
- Read the explanation, not only the mark. Compare the correct value with the line where your method changed.
- Practice that method. Generate a multiple-choice quiz on the topic and save it. Quizzes have four choices per question. On a new quiz you can ask for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 questions.
Checker, not a computer-algebra app
TutorMate does not graph equations, and it is not a dedicated algebra solver. If you are stuck before you have an answer, Photomath does that job and TutorMate does not replace it. If the page is already filled in, including word problems and other subjects mixed onto the same sheet, the check covers the page rather than one expression at a time. For answers that are sentences instead of numbers, use the written-answer check. To drill the topic afterward, start from the quiz generator or the biology quiz example.
Common questions
Can TutorMate check algebra I already finished?
Yes. Finish the problems, photograph the page or upload a picture of it, and TutorMate reads each answer. The check is written as the question, the answer it sees, the correct answer, and an explanation. The first 10 checks are free, then $4.95 per month or $49 per year.
Will it solve the equation before I try?
The check button requires a page you upload. The intended use is a finished attempt. Photomath is the tool to open when you are stuck in the middle of a method. TutorMate is the tool to open after you have an answer written down.
How close does a numeric answer have to be?
When the answer is a number, TutorMate treats it as a match if it is within 0.01 of the correct value. That covers ordinary rounding. A wrong method, such as forgetting to distribute, is not within 0.01, and the explanation should say which step failed.