1. Write a word phrase for each algebraic expression.
4/n
2. You can write " twelve less than a number " as n - 12, but not as 12 - n. Explain why?
4/n means??
What does 12 - n mean?
4/n is the problem
12 - n means 12 minus n
But what does 4/n mean?
add?
subtract?
multiply?
divide?
1. To write a word phrase for the algebraic expression 4/n, we can say "four divided by a number." This represents the concept that 4 is being divided by some unknown number.
2. The phrase "twelve less than a number" can be written as n - 12 because the word "less" implies subtraction. When we subtract 12 from a number, we are taking away 12 units from that number. In this case, the number itself is being decreased by 12. Therefore, it is appropriate to use n - 12.
On the other hand, it would not be correct to write it as 12 - n because the phrase does not indicate that we are subtracting the number from 12. Instead, it states that 12 is being subtracted from the number. Thus, it is necessary to use n - 12 instead of 12 - n to accurately represent the phrase "twelve less than a number."