The Commodore Courier

Ten Vocabulary Words that Every Student Needs to Know to Be Successful in Mathematics

Variable: A symbol (usually a letter like x or y) that represents an unknown value or a quantity that can change.
Equation: A mathematical statement showing that two expressions are equal, marked by an equals sign (=).
Expression: A mathematical phrase containing numbers, variables, and operation symbols without an equals sign (e.g., 2x + 5).
Operation: A mathematical action applied to numbers or values—primarily addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Factor: A number that divides evenly into another number, or one of two or more numbers multiplied together to form a product (e.g., 3 and 4 are factors of 12).
Product: The result of multiplying two or more numbers or expressions together.
Difference: The result obtained by subtracting one number from another.
Ratio: A mathematical comparison showing the relative sizes of two or more values (e.g., 3:1 or 3/1).
Perimeter: The total distance around the continuous outer boundary of a two-dimensional shape.
Area: The total amount of two-dimensional surface space enclosed within a shape, measured in square units.

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