Algebra Foundations

1. What is a variable?

A symbol that represents a number

2. What is a coefficient?

A number multiplied by a variable

3. What is a constant term?

A term with no variable

4. What are like terms?

Terms with the same variable factors raised to the same powers

5. What does it mean to evaluate an expression?

Substitute values for variables and simplify

6. What is an equation?

A statement that two expressions are equal

7. What is a solution of an equation?

A value that makes the equation true

8. What is the inverse operation of addition?

Subtraction

9. What is the inverse operation of multiplication?

Division

10. How do you preserve equality while solving an equation?

Perform the same operation on both sides

11. What does the distributive property state?

a(b + c) = ab + ac

12. What is the slope between two points?

Change in y divided by change in x

Rise over run

13. What is the y-intercept of a line?

The y-coordinate where the line crosses the y-axis

14. What is the slope-intercept form of a line?

y = mx + b

15. What does a negative exponent mean for a nonzero base?

Take the reciprocal and use the corresponding positive exponent