Parts of an Expression

Front

What is a constant in an expression?

Back

A constant is a fixed value that does not change. In the expression 72B - 8 + 9h + 2, the number -8 and 2 are constants.

Front

What is a variable in an expression?

Back

A variable is a symbol (often a letter) that represents an unknown value. In the expression 72B - 8 + 9h + 2, B and h are variables.

Front

What is a coefficient?

Back

A coefficient is a numerical factor that multiplies a variable. In the term 3n, 3 is the coefficient of n.

Front

How do you identify the number of terms in an expression?

Back

Count the number of distinct parts separated by + or - signs. For example, in 7y + 3 - 7k - 2, there are 4 terms.

Front

What is the difference between an expression and an equation?

Back

An expression is a combination of numbers, variables, and operations without an equality sign. An equation states that two expressions are equal.

Front

What is the coefficient of x in the expression 8 + 5x - y?

Back

The coefficient of x is 5.

Front

How many variables are in the expression 8y + 7j - 2 + 4u?

Back

There are 3 variables: y, j, and u.

Front

What does it mean for a term to be a like term?

Back

Like terms are terms that have the same variable raised to the same power. For example, 3x and 5x are like terms.

Front

What is the role of parentheses in an expression?

Back

Parentheses indicate which operations should be performed first in an expression.

Front

What is a polynomial?

Back

A polynomial is an expression that consists of variables raised to whole number powers and coefficients, such as 3x^2 + 2x - 5.