Post 6: Equivalent Expressions + Distributive Property

After that last room, Sage and the kids have a basic understanding of Algebra. Now it's time to refine and master these algebraic concepts.

A mist swallows them as they enter the new room. When it clears, Sage and the kids are separated, the kids in one tunnel, Sage in another. Each tunnel ends with a door. The kids' door reads a(b+c); Sage's reads ab+c.

The equations must control where the doors lead, but the kids' door is sealed behind glass. Only Sage's equation is open, and only his equation looks changeable. The kids mime frantically until Sage follows their pointing to a few blocks on the floor with letters on them. A kid grins at him.

Equivalent expressions might sound like a fancy math phrase, but the idea is actually pretty simple. An equivalent expression is just another way of writing the same math. It may look different, but it has the exact same value.

Here are some examples:

3x and 3(x)

2 + (x + y) and (2 + x) + y

3(x + 2) and 3x + 6

The group then continues on with their quest!

Click here for the next post

Catch your algebra mistakes before they cost you

The scratchpad in this guide runs on moment.of.math — a free Chrome extension that checks your algebra line by line, on any problem. It can generate new variations problems, so you can get as much practice as you need. On many homework sites, it automatically detects the math on the page, so you don't have to copy anything over. Try it on tonight's homework.

Add to Chrome