Variables in algebra are letters such as x y v g or call it any letter you want that can be used to represent unknown numbers. Really variables are used wherever a best answer needs to be found. A variable feature or factor.
It is usually a letter like x or y.
Think of an expression as a sentence. Use functions any time a variable x transforms in a relationship to equal a new variable y. The input is the known variable while the output is the solution. However the other variable is the dependent variable its specifically well dependent on what we pick for the independent variable.