Back to: Algebra 1
What is an algebraic expression?
An algebraic is an expression in mathematics which consists of variables, numbers, and the various operations. Example 2x + 3y, x2– y2.
Example: Tommy has 12 marbles and 10 stickers. He divides the into 3 equal parts and puts each in a bag. He divides the stickers into 2 equal parts and puts them each into a container. Now he has 3 bags of marbles and 2 containers of stickers. Writing this as an algebraic expression, we have, 3b +2c.
Example: Write the following phrases as algebraic expressions.
Phrase
two cats and one dog
a number x plus 5
a number y decreased by 6
a number x, increased by 10
15 more than a number x
y less than 20
the product of 3 and a number x plus 4
the quotient of 12 and a number y minus 6
Algebraic Expression
2c + d
x + 5
y – 6
x + 10
x + 15
20 – y
3x + 4
(12 ÷ y) – 6