i don't get this!! Complete the statement to describe the expression abc + defabc+defa, b, c, plus, d, e, f. The expression consists of terms, and each term contains factors.

Answer 1

Complete the statement to describe the expression abc + defabc+defa, b, c, plus, d, e, f. The expression consists of terms, and each term contains factors.

From what I gather, the expression is abc + defabc + defabc + def, correct?

Now, a "term" is any part that is separated by a "+" or a "-" sign. So, "abc" is the first term, the second and third are the same ("defabc"), and "def" is the fourth term.

Now, abc really means a x b x c. We don't use "x" for multiplication when we get into using variables, because then the "x" for a variable and the "x" for multiplication would get confusing. So, if we see a number next to a variable, like 7x, this means 7 times x. If we see abc, this means a times b times c.

Each thing you multiply is called a "factor". So, abc has three factors, "a," "b," and "c."

Now, to combine like terms, two terms must have the same exact factors. Otherwise, it's like apples and oranges; they don't go together. They're not "friends"! So, defabc and defabc, the middle two terms, have all the same factors, so you can put them together. The other two terms, abc and def, do not have the same factors, so they cannot be combined.

To combine defabc and defabc, recall if you don't see a number out front of a variable, it's implied there is a "1" there. So, 1defabc + 1defabc = 2defabc.

Therefore, abc + defabc + defabc + def = abc + 2defabc + def.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

~Jennifer :)