Evaluating Algebraic Expressions

Property To evaluate an algebraic expression, substitute a value for each variable and simplify using the order of operations.

Examples Evaluate $2x 5x + ax$ for $x = 4$ and $a = 2$. $2(4) 5(4) + (2)(4) = 8 20 + 8 = 4$. Evaluate $5y + 2z yz$ for $y = 3$ and $z = 5$. $5(3) + 2(5) (3)(5) = 15 + 10 15 = 10$.

Explanation Think of it like a recipe! You replace ingredient names (variables) with their actual amounts (numbers). Then, you follow the cooking steps (order of operations) to get your final, delicious dish. The result is the value of the expression for those specific numbers.