Simplifying an Algebraic Expression
To simplify an expression is to perform all possible mathematical operations within it until no further arithmetic can be done. For instance, simplifying the expression requires evaluating the multiplication first to get , and then performing the addition to arrive at a final value of . A best practice when simplifying is to organize the work vertically, writing each successive step clearly on a new line directly below the previous one. Furthermore, equal signs should be omitted between these steps during simplification; avoiding equal signs prevents misleadingly turning the expression into an equation and thereby confusing the fundamentally distinct concepts of simplifying expressions and solving algebraic equations.
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