Algebraic Expressions and Definitions

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What is a constant in an algebraic expression?

Back

A constant is a fixed value that does not change. For example, in the expression 3x + 7, the constant is 7.

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

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Count each distinct part of the expression separated by + or - signs. For example, in 4x + 3 - 2y - 4w + 21, there are 5 terms.

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What is a variable in an algebraic expression?

Back

A variable is a symbol that represents an unknown value. For example, in the expression 6y + 4, 'y' is the variable.

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What is a coefficient in an algebraic expression?

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A coefficient is a number that multiplies a variable. For example, in the expression 3m + 21 - 4, the coefficient of 'm' is 3.

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How do you simplify an algebraic expression?

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Combine like terms by adding or subtracting their coefficients. For example, simplify 13x + 21 + 2y + 14 - 2x - 4x + 6y to get 7x + 35 + 8y.

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What is an algebraic expression?

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An algebraic expression is a combination of numbers, variables, and operations (like +, -, *, /) that represents a value.

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What does it mean to evaluate an expression?

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

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What are like terms?

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

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What is the difference between an expression and an equation?

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

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What is the distributive property?

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The distributive property states that a(b + c) = ab + ac. It allows you to multiply a single term by each term in a parenthesis.