Algebraic Expressions

Much of the work in algebra involves algebraic expressions. These expressions consist of one or more variables and constants. The parts of an algebraic expression are called the terms. Each term is separated by an addition or subtraction sign. Terms are made up of a constant, and usually one or more variables. All parts of an individual term are multiplied together. The quantity multiplied by a given variable in a term is known as the term’s coefficient. In most cases, the coefficient is the constant portion of a term. If a term does not have a visible coefficient it is understood to be a 1. Note that the sign that precedes the term is part of the term.