Fulfill your High School Algebra requirement at home with training from Penn Foster High School. We’ll guide you through the course with class notes, textbooks and unlimited instructor support. Each lesson has been specifically designed for independent study – you’ll learn Algebra II in no time.

Course Description

Algebra II continues where Algebra I leaves off. It explains a variety of mathematical concepts that have numerous applications, both practical and theoretical, in real life.

It begins with functions—special relationships involving one or more variables. We use functions to make predictions of future events (the weather, football games, stock prices, etc.) that follow a pattern, and to gain information that may be impractical or impossible to get by performing experiments. Next, it covers ratios, which are used to compare numbers, such as the number of red cars to the number of blue cars in a parking lot. Proportions are covered, too; they show equalities between ratios, and are used to find the unknown quantity in a ratio. For example, if your car gets 15 miles per gallon, you can quickly figure out how many gallons it will take to drive 52 miles.

In reader-friendly terms, the course also explains all the other concepts listed below.

• Functions, Ratios, Proportions, and Logarithms
• Variation, Progression, and Theorems
• Matrices and Determinants
• Inequalities, Permutations, and Probability

• Define a function, and determine whether or not an expression is a function
• Explain the use of, and solve problems involving, ratios and proportions
• Describe common logarithms, and solve problems using them
• Recognize when the relationship between two variables is a direct variation
• Solve problems involving direct square relationships
• Explain inverse variation, and identify inverse square relationship
• Form, identify, and sum arithmetic progressions
• Find the common ratio, or calculate the missing term, in a geometric progression
• Perform synthetic division
• Use the remainder theorem when dividing a polynomial by a binomial
• Apply the factor theorem, to determine if a binomial is a factor of a polynomial
• Perform addition, subtraction, and multiplication with matrices
• Identify special types of matrices, and find the determinant of a matrix
• Use the Gauss-Jordan elimination method to solve systems of equations
• Use Cramer’s rule to solve systems of equations
• Solve linear inequalities in one variable, and graph the solution sets
• Graph linear inequalities in two variables
• Determine the number of combinations or permutations available
• Calculate simple probability and mathematical expectations
  

Functions, Ratios, Proportions, and Logarithms

• Functions: Definitions; Concepts; Linear Functions; Graphs; Applications
• Ratios: Definitions; Concepts; Working with Ratios
• Proportions: Definitions; Concepts; Applications
• Exponents and Logarithms: Exponential Functions; Logarithmic Functions
• Working with Logarithms: Basics; Log Tables and Interpolation
  

Variation, Progression, and Theorems

• Variation: Direct Variation; Direct Square Relationships; Inverse Variation; Inverse Square Relationships
• Progression: Arithmetic Progression; Geometric Progression
• Theorems: Synthetic Division; Remainder Theorem; Factor Theorem
• Matrices and Determinants
• Matrices: Definitions; Concepts; Addition and Subtraction; Multiplication; Special Matrices
• Systems of Linear Equations: Augmented Matrices; Gauss-Jordan Elimination
• Determinants: Defined; Evaluating; Special Properties; Cramer’s Rule
• Inequalities, Permutations, and Probability
• Linear Inequalities in One Variable: Solving; Graphing; Applications
• Linear Inequalities in Two Variables: Introduction; Graphing; Applications
• Permutations and Combinations: Introduction; Permutations; Combinations
• Probability: Introduction; Trial; Relative Frequency; Mathematical Expectation
  

There are four exams that need to be passed to complete your course in Algebra II and you’ll have up to 15 weeks to complete the course.

Support
If you should ever need help with your studies, you can e-mail or call our instructors who will gladly help you with any questions that you might have.

Study Time
Since there is no set class schedule, you study when and where it’s convenient for you. You can complete your course as quickly as you’d like.

Completion
When you have successfully completed your course, you will receive a letter of completion along with an official transcript listing your completed course(s) and grades. You can apply your course towards our Diploma Program or a diploma from your local High School (be sure to check with your school authorities regarding mandatory attendance policies and whether they agree that the Penn Foster High School Program is acceptable toward the completion of your high school education).

Accreditation
Penn Foster High School is accredited by The Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools; has met the high standards of integrity and performance set by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), Washington D.C., and is licensed by the Pennsylvania State Board of Private Licensed Schools.

Whether you’re looking for accelerated studies or credit recovery, regionally and nationally accredited Penn Foster High School provides the courses you need to complete your High School Diploma.