Error Analysis Solving Multistep Equations

Front

What does it mean to combine like terms in an equation?

Back

Combining like terms means to simplify an expression by adding or subtracting terms that have the same variable raised to the same power.

Front

When should you combine like terms in an equation?

Back

You should combine like terms when you see more than two terms on either side of an equation.

Front

What is the first step in solving a multistep equation?

Back

The first step is often to simplify both sides of the equation by combining like terms and using the distributive property.

Front

What is the distributive property?

Back

The distributive property states that a(b + c) = ab + ac, meaning you multiply a term by each term inside the parentheses.

Front

How do you isolate a variable in an equation?

Back

To isolate a variable, you need to perform inverse operations to get the variable by itself on one side of the equation.

Front

What is the purpose of moving constants to one side of the equation?

Back

Moving constants to one side helps to isolate the variable and simplify the equation for easier solving.

Front

What is a common mistake when solving multistep equations?

Back

A common mistake is incorrectly applying the distributive property or combining like terms.

Front

What should you do if you find a mistake in your solution?

Back

If you find a mistake, go back through each step to identify where the error occurred and correct it.

Front

What does it mean to remove the coefficient of a variable?

Back

Removing the coefficient means dividing both sides of the equation by the coefficient to solve for the variable.

Front

What is an example of using the distributive property?

Back

An example is 3(x + 2) = 3x + 6.