Here’s a breakdown of your key terms along with their definitions, meanings, illustrations, and examples, showing step-by-step problem-solving.
1. Expression
Definition: An expression is a combination of numbers, variables (letters that represent numbers), and operations (like addition and multiplication) but does not have an equality sign.
Example: \[ 3x + 5 \]
Steps: This expression can't be solved further without additional information, but it can be simplified by combining like terms or evaluated for specific values of \(x\).
2. Terms
Definition: Terms are the individual parts of an expression, which could be numbers (constants), variables, or a combination of both multiplied together.
Example: In the expression \(4x^2 + 3x - 7\), the terms are \(4x^2\), \(3x\), and \(-7\).
3. Factors
Definition: Factors are the numbers or expressions that are multiplied together to get another number or expression.
Example: Factors of the expression \(2x^2 + 8x\) can be expressed as: \[ 2x(x + 4) \]
4. Coefficients
Definition: A coefficient is a numerical part of a term that is multiplied by a variable.
Example: In the term \(7y\), the coefficient is \(7\).
5. Inverse Operations
Definition: Inverse operations reverse the effect of an operation. The two key pairs are addition and subtraction, and multiplication and division.
Example: If you have the equation \(x + 5 = 12\), to solve for \(x\), you perform the inverse operation of addition, which is subtraction: \[ x + 5 - 5 = 12 - 5 \implies x = 7 \]
6. Equation with One Variable Solved with One Step
Example: Solve \(x + 7 = 10\).
Steps:
- Subtract \(7\) from both sides (inverse operation of addition): \[ x + 7 - 7 = 10 - 7 \]
- Simplify: \[ x = 3 \]
7. Equation with One Variable Solved with Two Steps
Example: Solve \(2x + 3 = 11\).
Steps:
- Subtract \(3\) from both sides: \[ 2x + 3 - 3 = 11 - 3 \] \[ 2x = 8 \]
- Divide by \(2\): \[ \frac{2x}{2} = \frac{8}{2} \] \[ x = 4 \]
8. Like Terms
Definition: Like terms are terms that have the same variable raised to the same power.
Example: In the expression \(3x + 5 + 2x\), the terms \(3x\) and \(2x\) are like terms.
Steps to Combine:
- Combine like terms: \[ 3x + 2x + 5 = 5x + 5 \]
9. Distributive Property
Definition: The distributive property states that \(a(b + c) = ab + ac\).
Example: Simplify \(3(x + 4)\).
Steps:
- Distribute \(3\) to both terms inside the parentheses: \[ 3(x) + 3(4) = 3x + 12 \]
These definitions and examples illustrate how to approach these mathematical concepts systematically. If you have any further questions or need additional examples, feel free to ask!