CH 2 vocab McDougal Littell Algebra 1 concepts and skills

real number

any positive or negative number that can be shown on the number line and zero

integer

the whole numbers and their opposites plus zero

opposite

two numbers that are the same distance from zero on the number line

absolute value

The distance a number is from zero on a number line

closure property

the sum or product of any two real numbers is a real number

term

The parts of an expression that are added or subtracted

distributive property

For all real numbers a, b, and c, a(b+c) = ab+ac and a(b-c) = ab-ac

coefficient

number in front of a variable

like terms

terms that have the same variable raised to the same power

reciprocal

(mathematics) one of a pair of numbers whose product is 1: the reciprocal of 2/3 is 3/2...the reciprocal of 7 is 1/7

real number line

a line that pictures real numbers as points

negative numbers

numbers less than zero

positive numbers

numbers greater than zero

graph

the point that corresponds to the number

plotting

drawing the point on a number line that corresponds to a number

velocity

speed and direction

counterexample

an example that proves a statement false

matrix

a rectangular array of elements (or entries) set out by rows and columns

entry

each value in a matrix

constant

A term without a variable

simplified

an algebraic expression is said to be simplifies when all of the like terms have been combined and all parenthesis have been removed

probability

a number that describes how likely it is that an event will occur

outcomes

possible results of a probability event

favorable outcomes

the sum of the outcomes that will satisfy the conditions of the story or problem

theoretical probability

When all outcomes are equally likely, the theoretical probability of an event is the ratio of the number of favorable outcomes to the number of possible outcomes.

experimental probability

Probability based on data from repeating an event (doing an experiment)

odds

ratio of favorable outcomes to unfavorable outcomes