THE UNKNOWN · THE KIT

Glossary

Forty terms, survey-kit plain.
variablethe letter standing in for the missing value
coefficientthe number multiplying a variable
like termsterms sharing the same letter part
equationa statement that two expressions are equal
solutionthe value that closes the case: it makes the equation true
inequalitya statement using less than or greater than
exponentthe raised number counting repeated multiplication
basethe number an exponent repeats
scientific notationa number written as one digit, a point, and a power of ten
slopethe steepness of a line, rise over run
y-interceptwhere a line crosses the y-axis
linearmaking a straight line
systemtwo or more equations sharing one answer
substitutiontrading a letter for what it equals
eliminationadding equations to cancel a letter
binomiala two-term expression
trinomiala three-term expression
factorto rewrite as a multiplication
greatest common factorthe largest factor terms share
quadratican expression whose highest power is two
square rootthe number that multiplies by itself to give another
perfect squarea number with a whole-number square root
hypotenusethe longest side of a right triangle
radicalthe root sign and what lives under it