1. Variables and Expressions
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What operation does the sum of
represent?
Example Answer: x + 14
the sum of ...and...This indicates that we should add two things. ... + ...
a numberand
14.Since
a numbercomes first in the verbal expression, it should be on the left-hand side of the addition. a number + 14 When we say
a number,this is indicating an arbitrary number or a variable. If we call this number x, we can complete our expression. the sum of & a number and 14 & x + 14 Note that this is only one of multiple ways to algebraically express the given verbal expression.
There are a lot of phrases we use in every day language that we can use to write algebraic expressions. The next time you are shopping, playing a game with your friends, or dividing up a pizza at a party, try to think about the math symbols you would use to describe the situation!
Situation | Algebraic Expression |
---|---|
You are at the mall and you have $20 plus the amount left on the gift card g you got for your birthday. | 20+g |
One round of bowling takes about 30 minutes per person p. | 30* p |
There are 5 pizzas and you are not sure how many people z will come to the party, but everyone should have an equal number of slices. | 5Ă· z |