Expressions and Equations

Front

What is an expression in mathematics?

Back

An expression is a combination of numbers, variables, and operators (like +, -, ×, ÷) that represents a value.

Front

What is an equation?

Back

An equation is a mathematical statement that asserts the equality of two expressions, typically containing an equal sign (=).

Front

What does it mean to simplify an expression?

Back

To simplify an expression means to reduce it to its simplest form by combining like terms and performing operations.

Front

What is the order of operations?

Back

The order of operations is a set of rules that determines the sequence in which calculations are performed: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division (from left to right), Addition and Subtraction (from left to right). This is often remembered by the acronym PEMDAS.

Front

What is a variable?

Back

A variable is a symbol (often a letter) that represents an unknown value in an expression or equation.

Front

What does it mean to evaluate an expression?

Back

To evaluate an expression means to calculate its value by substituting the variables with numbers and performing the operations.

Front

What is a coefficient?

Back

A coefficient is a numerical factor in a term of an expression, usually placed in front of a variable (e.g., in 3x, 3 is the coefficient).

Front

What is a term in an expression?

Back

A term is a single mathematical expression that can be a number, a variable, or a combination of both, separated by + or - signs.

Front

What is the distributive property?

Back

The distributive property states that a(b + c) = ab + ac, meaning you can distribute a factor across a sum.

Front

How do you solve for a variable in an equation?

Back

To solve for a variable, isolate the variable on one side of the equation using inverse operations.