Simplifying Expressions

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What is a coefficient in an expression?

Back

A coefficient is a numerical factor that multiplies a variable in an expression. For example, in 5x, 5 is the coefficient.

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What does it mean to simplify an expression?

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To simplify an expression means to combine like terms and perform any operations to make the expression easier to understand or calculate.

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What are like terms?

Back

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 a constant term in an expression?

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A constant term is a term that does not contain any variables. For example, in the expression 3y + 5, the number 5 is the constant term.

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How do you combine like terms?

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To combine like terms, you add or subtract the coefficients of the terms that have the same variable. For example, 3x + 5x = 8x.

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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 inside a parentheses.

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How do you factor an expression?

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Factoring an expression means to write it as a product of its factors. For example, 5x + 15 can be factored as 5(x + 3).

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What is the difference between an expression and an equation?

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

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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 is a variable in an expression?

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A variable is a symbol, usually a letter, that represents an unknown value in an expression. For example, in 3y, y is the variable.