How do you simplify in math?

Answer 1

Ah simplification, that old chestnut.

OK so you have presumable an equation. Simplification means gathering like terms together to make the eqution easier to solve or work with. Lets start at the basics:

x=4+3

to simplify 'gather' the 4 and the +3 together to make 7. So:

x=7

Next one:

3x-7x=-9

we can 'gather' the 3x and the -7x to make -4x because 3-7=-4.

so -4x=-9

Now you can multiply throughout by -1 and divide throughout by 4 to give x but that isn't simplification really.

x3+x2=7

This cannot be simplified by adding the terms because the power on the x is different. You can however factorise to give:

x2(x+1)=7

look im not going to be able to teach you all the rules of simplification, but there' a start and try using a maths website/revision site/wikipedia/maths teacher.