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Mathematics vocabulary · Algebra and Equations

Simplify

Meaning in mathematics, with examples

/ˈsɪmplɪfaɪ/verbCore term

In mathematics, simplify means: To write a fraction or expression in its shortest and clearest form without changing its value, for example writing 6/8 as 3/4.

In Turkish: sadeleştirmek, basitleştirmek

How it is used

A very common instruction in textbooks and exams: 'Simplify fully', 'Give your answer in its simplest form'. You simplify by collecting like terms, cancelling common factors and using the laws of exponents.

Example sentences

  1. Simplify the expression 3x + 5x − 2 before you substitute x = 4.

  2. Your answer is right, but you still need to simplify 12/18 to 2/3.

Common collocations

  • simplify fully
  • simplify the expression
  • simplify a fraction
  • simplest form
  • expressionA combination of numbers, variables and operation signs, such as 4x² − 3x + 7, that has no equals sign and can be simplified or evaluated.
  • 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.
  • cancel outTo 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.
  • 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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