Final answer:
To make u the subject of a formula, identify u's terms, use inverse operations to isolate u, and manipulate the equation step-by-step to solve for u.
Step-by-step explanation:
To make u the subject of the formula, you should start by carefully looking at the equation and identifying which terms involve the variable u. The goal is to isolate u on one side of the equation.
This typically involves performing a series of inverse operations on both sides of the equation, such as adding or subtracting terms to both sides, multiplying or dividing both sides by a number or another variable, and sometimes taking roots or applying other functions, as necessary.
Here is a generic example:
Suppose the equation is av + bu = c, where a, b, and c are known constants and v is another variable.
To isolate u, first subtract av from both sides: bu = c - av.
Then, divide both sides by b to get u by itself: u = (c - av)/b.
In this step-by-step process, we have successfully made u the subject of the formula. The lesson here is that formulas are tools for understanding relationships between variables, and with practice, you can manipulate them freely to solve for any variable.