Simplifying Expressions

Front

What is the distributive property in algebra?

Back

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

Front

How do you simplify the expression 5(1 - y) - 3y?

Back

First, apply the distributive property: 5 - 5y - 3y = 5 - 8y, which simplifies to -8y + 5.

Front

What is the result of simplifying the expression x + 2(x + 3)?

Back

Using the distributive property, 2(x + 3) becomes 2x + 6. Therefore, x + 2x + 6 simplifies to 3x + 6.

Front

How do you simplify the expression 5(2 - 7n)?

Back

Apply the distributive property: 5 * 2 - 5 * 7n = 10 - 35n.

Front

What is the simplified form of 6(3x - 2) + 4x?

Back

Distributing gives 18x - 12 + 4x, which simplifies to 22x - 12.

Front

How do you simplify the expression 5(y + 6) + 4?

Back

Distributing gives 5y + 30 + 4, which simplifies to 5y + 34.

Front

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

Back

Combining like terms means to add or subtract terms that have the same variable raised to the same power.

Front

What is a like term?

Back

Like terms are terms that have the same variable and exponent, such as 3x and 5x.

Front

What is the first step in simplifying an algebraic expression?

Back

The first step is to apply the distributive property where applicable.

Front

What is the purpose of simplifying expressions in algebra?

Back

Simplifying expressions makes them easier to work with and helps in solving equations.