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Mathematics vocabulary · Algebra and Equations

Cancel out

Meaning in mathematics, with examples

phrasal verbCommon term

In mathematics, cancel out means: To remove each other because their combined effect is zero, as when +3x and −3x are added, or when the same factor is above and below a fraction line.

In Turkish: birbirini götürmek, sadeleşmek

How it is used

Common in spoken explanations: 'the x terms cancel out', 'the 2s cancel'. You can also cancel a common factor. Teachers often warn that factors cancel but terms do not: in (x + 2)/2, the 2s do not cancel.

Example sentences

  1. When you add the two equations, the y terms cancel out.

  2. The factor (x − 1) cancels out from the top and bottom of the fraction.

Common collocations

  • the terms cancel out
  • cancel each other out
  • cancel a common factor
  • cancel out the fractions
  • simplifyTo write a fraction or expression in its shortest and clearest form without changing its value, for example writing 6/8 as 3/4.
  • fractionA number that shows part of a whole, written as one number over another, such as ¾, where 3 is the numerator and 4 is the denominator.
  • numeratorThe number above the line in a fraction, which shows how many parts you have; in 3/8, the numerator is 3.
  • factorA number or expression that divides another exactly, with no remainder; the factors of 12 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12.

More terms: Algebra and Equations

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