Writing Expressions from Word Problems

Front

What is an expression in mathematics?

Back

An expression is a combination of numbers, variables, and operators (such as +, -, *, /) that represents a value.

Front

How do you write an expression for a total cost?

Back

To write an expression for total cost, add fixed costs to variable costs. For example, if parking costs $12 and tickets cost $10 per person, the expression is: 12 + 10p, where p is the number of people.

Front

What does the variable 'p' represent in the expression 100 - p?

Back

In the expression 100 - p, 'p' represents the number of passengers on a plane, and the expression calculates the number of empty seats.

Front

How do you express the total number of items when given a quantity per group?

Back

To express the total number of items, multiply the number of groups by the quantity per group. For example, if there are r rows of chairs with 8 chairs each, the expression is: 8r.

Front

What is the expression for the number of frogs left if 47 frogs are in a pond and 'f' frogs hop away?

Back

The expression for the number of frogs left is: 47 - f.

Front

What does the expression 92 ÷ b represent?

Back

The expression 92 ÷ b represents the number of prizes in each bag when 92 prizes are evenly split into b bags.

Front

How do you represent a total cost that includes a fixed fee and a variable fee?

Back

You represent a total cost that includes a fixed fee and a variable fee by adding the fixed fee to the product of the variable fee and the number of items. For example, total cost = fixed fee + (variable fee * number of items).

Front

What is the difference between an equation and an expression?

Back

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

Front

How do you write an expression for the number of empty seats on a plane?

Back

To write an expression for the number of empty seats on a plane, subtract the number of passengers from the total number of seats. For example, if there are 100 seats and p passengers, the expression is: 100 - p.

Front

What does the expression 8r represent in a seating arrangement?

Back

The expression 8r represents the total number of chairs when there are r rows of chairs with 8 chairs in each row.