Definitions and Terms
What is a variable?
A variable is a symbol that represents an unknown quantity.
e = 3
10 - e
7
6x + 3x
9x
3(x + 4)
3x + 12
(3x + 2) + (4x + 1)
7x + 3
What is a coefficient?
A coefficient is the number that is in front of the variable
d = 8
2d + 11
27
4a + 7 - 2a
2a + 7
5(2y - 3)
10y - 15
(6a − 5) − (2a + 3)
4a - 8
What is the commutative property? (And give me an example)
The order in which you add or multiply numbers does not matter. It does not change the sum or the product.
e = 3
10(e + 7)
100
9m − 4 + 3m + 6
12m + 2
4(a + 6) − a
3a + 24
(5m + 7) + (3m − 4)
8m + 3
What is the associative property? (And give me an example)
It does not matter in which numbers are grouped. It does not change the sum or product.
a = 6 & v = 2
12a - 3v
56
8y + 2 − 5y + 3 − y
2y + 5
2(3m − 5) + 4(m + 1)
10m - 6
(9y + 2) − (4y − 6)
5y + 8
What is a constant?
A constant is a term without a variable
(c + x) + px - cp + 1
29
−6k + 4 + 9k − 7 + 2k − 3
5k - 6
3(2k − 7) − 2(4 − k)
8k - 29
(7k − 3) + (2k + 5) − (k − 4)
8k + 6