Sept. 20 Class

Learning Goals: Review some rules of algebra.

Here is the daily plan for this unit: Daily Plan for Unit 2

Today we reviewed some topics that will be very important in the upcoming unit.  First of all some vocabular,

Variable: the unknown value in an expression, x, y, z, a, b, c, ...

Coefficient: the number multiplied to a variable.
eg. In the expression -3x, the coefficient is -3 and the variable is x.

Like Terms: terms with the same variables and exponents.
eg. x, 3x, (-1/2)x are all like terms, but 2x² is not a like term because it it squared.

Binomial: expressions with two terms.
eg. 3x + 4  or  a – b

Trinomial: expressions with three terms.
eg. 2x² – 5x + 1  or   3m² + 4mn – 2n²



Next I reviewed some examples of how to expand and simplify expressions.

eg. Expand and simplify .

Solution:.

Remember the exponent rules:  
When you multiply, you add the exponents 
When you divide, you subtract the exponents 

eg. Expand and simplify .

Solution, you must remember to FOIL.

Multiply the First two terms.
Multiply the Outside terms.
Multiply the Inside terms.
Multiply the Last terms.

After FOIL you get, 

Finally, collect like terms to get: 

The rest of the homework questions involve using these rules in the right order and keeping yourself organized to get to the final answer.  Some of the problems might seem long and daunting, but remember to keep applying these rules and you'll do fine.

Homework: p. 85 #2cd, 3bc, 5ade, 6, 7d, 8-13