Term | Definition |
variable | a symbol, usually a letter that represents one or more numbers |
coefficient | the number that is multiplied by the variable in an algebraic expression |
expression | a mathematical phrase containing numbers, operations, and/or variables |
constant term | a term that has numbers but no variable |
Evaluate (an algebraic expression) | substitute a number for each variable in an algebraic expression. Then use the order of operations to find the value of the numerical expression |
substitute | to replace a variable with a number or another expression in an algebraic expression |
equation | a mathematical sentence that uses and equal sign to show that two expressions are equal |
solve | to find an answer or a solution |
solution of an equation | a value that makes an equation true |
inverse operation | operations that “undo” each other, such as addition and subtraction or multiplication and division |
isolate the variable | to get a variable alone on one side of an equation or inequality in order to solve the equation or inequality |
like terms | terms that have identical variable parts |
equivalent expression | expressions with the same value |
simplify | to write a fraction or expression in simplest form |
distributive property | to multiply a sum or difference by a number, multiply each number in a sum or difference by the number outside the parentheses. |
order of operations | the order in which to perform operations when evaluating expressions with more than one operation |
ordered pair | a pair of numbers used to locate a point in a coordinate plane. The first number is the x-coordinate and the second number is the y-coordinate |
integers | the set of whole numbers and their opposites |
absolute value | the distance between a number and 0 on a number line. The absolute value of a number a is written as |a|. |