A STORY OF RATIOS Lesson 1 Classwork 7•3

Opening Exercise
Each envelope contains a number of triangles and a number of quadrilaterals. For this exercise, let t represent the
number of triangles, and let q represent the number of quadrilaterals.
a. Write an expression using t and q that represents the total number of sides in your envelope. Explain what
the terms in your expression represent.

c Total sides
b. You and your partner have the same number of triangles and quadrilaterals in your envelopes. Write an
expression that represents the total number of sides that you and your partner have. If possible, write more
than one expression to represent this total.

2 c totalsides
c. Each envelope in the class contains the same number of triangles and quadrilaterals. Write an expression that
represents the total number of sides in the room.

d. Use the given values of t and q and your expression from part (a) to determine the number of sides that
should be found in your envelope.

Lesson 1: Generating Equivalent Expressions 1

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 A STORY OF RATIOS Lesson 1 Classwork 7•3

e. Use the same values for t and q and your expression from part (b) to determine the number of sides that
should be contained in your envelope and your partner’s envelope combined.

f. Use the same values for t and q and your expression from part (c) to determine the number of sides that
should be contained in all of the envelopes combined.

g. What do you notice about the various expressions in parts (e) and (f)?

Example 1: Any Order, Any Grouping Property with Addition

a. Rewrite 5x + 3x and 5x 3x by combining like terms.

Write the original expressions and expand each term using addition. What are the new expressions equivalent
to?

5 31 5 31

b.
8
Find the sum of 2x + 1 and 5x.
2 10X
2X 1 5
2 5 1
7 1

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 A STORY OF RATIOS Lesson 1 Classwork 7•3

c. Find the sum of 3a + 2 and 5a 3.

39 2 99 37
39 59
29 1
Example 2: Any Order, Any Grouping with Multiplication
2
3
Find the product of 2x and 3.

2 03
6xt
Example 3: Any Order, Any Grouping in Expressions with Addition and Multiplication
Use any order, any grouping to write equivalent expressions.
a. 3(2x)

6 2 2442 2 61

b. 4y(5 )
20K

c. 4·2·z

82
d. 3(2x) + 4y( 5)

6 20

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 A STORY OF RATIOS Lesson 1 Classwork 7•3

e. 3(2x) + 4y( 5) + 4 · 2 · z

6 20 HX 2 2
6 20 82
f. Alexander says that 3x + 4y is equivalent to (3)(4) + xy because of any order, any grouping. Is he correct?
Why or why not?

3241 X K
4 13 4
1 32 1 4127 3 4 i 2
12 2
3 8
Relevant Vocabulary
V A variable is a symbol (such as a letter) that represents a number (i.e., it is a placeholder for a
number).
N A numerical expression is a number, or it is any combination of sums, differences,
products, or divisions of numbers that evaluates to a number.
V The value of a numerical expression is the number found by evaluating the expression.
E An expression is a numerical expression, or it is the result of replacing some (or all) of the
numbers in a numerical expression with variables.
E Two expressions are equivalent if both expressions evaluate to the same number for every
substitution of numbers into all the letters in both expressions.
A An expression that is written as sums (and/or differences) of products whose factors are
numbers, variables, or variables raised to whole number powers is said to be in expanded form. A single number,
variable, or a single product of numbers and/or variables is also considered to be in expanded form. Examples of
expressions in expanded form include: 324, 3x, 5x + 3 40, and x + 2x + 3x.
T Each summand of an expression in expanded form is called a term. For example, the expression
2x + 3x + 5 consists of three terms: 2x, 3x, and 5.
C The number found by multiplying just the numbers in a term together is the
coefficient of the term. For example, given the product 2 · x · 4, its equivalent term is 8x. The number 8 is called the
coefficient of the term 8x.
A An expression in expanded form with all its like terms collected is said to be in standard
form. For example, 2x + 3x + 5 is an expression written in expanded form; however, to be written in standard form,
the like terms 2x and 3x must be combined. The equivalent expression 5x + 5 is written in standard form.

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A STORY OF RATIOS Lesson 1 Classwork 7•3

Lesson Summary
Terms that contain exactly the same variable symbol can be combined by addition or subtraction because the
variable represents the same number. Any order, any grouping can be used where terms are added (or subtracted)
in order to group together like terms. Changing the orders of the terms in a sum does not affect the value of the
expression for given values of the variable(s).

Lesson 1: Generating Equivalent Expressions 5

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 A STORY OF RATIOS Lesson 1 Exit Ticket 7•3

Name Date

1. Write an equivalent expression to 2x + 3 + 5x + 6 by combining like terms.

2. Find the sum of (8a + 2b 4) and (3b 5).

3. Write the expression in standard form: 4(2a) + 7 ( 4b) + ( 3 · c · 5).

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 A STORY OF RATIOS Lesson 1 Homework Helper 7•3

1. Write an equivalent expression by combining like terms. Verify the equivalence of your expression and
the given expression by evaluating each for the given value: m = 3.
4m + 7 + m 9
4m + 1m + 7 9
5m 2
Check:

4 ( 3) + 7 + ( 3) 9
12 + 7 + ( 3) + ( 9)
17

5 ( 3) 2
15 + ( 2)
17
The expressions 4m + 7 + m 9 and 5m 2 are equivalent.

2. Use any order and any grouping to write an equivalent expression by combining like terms. Then, verify
the equivalence of your expression to the given expression by evaluating for the value(s) given.
9 (2 j ) + 6 ( − 7k ) + 6 ( − j ) ; for j = , k =
1 1
2 3
9 (2 j ) + 6 ( − 7k ) + 6 ( − j )
(9)(2)( j ) + (6)( − 7)(k ) + (6)( − 1)( j )
18 j + ( − 42k ) + ( − 6 j )
18 j + ( − 6 j ) + ( − 42k )
12 j − 42k

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 A STORY OF RATIOS Lesson 1 Homework Helper 7•3

Check:
9 (2 j ) + 6 (− 7k ) + 6 (− j )
 1  1  1
9  2 ×  + 6  −7 ×  + 6  − 
 2  3  2
 7
9 (1) + 6 −  + (− 3)
 3
 42
9 +  −  + (− 3)
 3
9 + ( − 14) + (− 3)
−8

12 j − 42k
 1  1
12   + ( − 42)  
 2  3
6 + ( − 14 )
−8
Both expressions are equivalent.

3. Meredith, Jodi, and Clive were finding the sum of (5x + 8) and 3x. Meredith wrote the expression
2x + 8, Jodi wrote 8x + 2, and Clive wrote 8 + 2x. Which person(s) was correct and why?
Let x = 2
(5x + 8) + ( 3x)
5(2) + 8 + ( 3(2))
10 + 8 + ( 6)
12

Meredith
2x + 8
2(2) + 8
4+8
12

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 A STORY OF RATIOS Lesson 1 Homework Helper 7•3

Jodi
8x + 2
8(2) + 2
16 + 2
18

Clive
8 + 2x
8 + 2(2)
8+4
12
Meredith and Clive are correct. Their expressions are the same, just in different orders. Jodi’s
expression is incorrect.

Lesson 1: Generating Equivalent Expressions 11

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 A STORY OF RATIOS Lesson 1 Problem Set 7•3

1–9write
For Problems 1
9,writeequiva
equivalent expressions by combining like terms. Verify the equivalence of your expression and
the given expression by evaluating each for the given values: a = 2, b = 5, and c = 3.

1. 3a + 5a
8a 8
2. 8b 4b
0
3. 5c + 4c + c

y4. 3a + 6 + 5a 6
5. 8b + 8 4b
0 5c
6. 4c + c

1 0
3a + 6 + 5a 2

0
7. 8. 8b + 8 4b 3 9. 5c 4c + c 3c

Use any order, any grouping to write equivalent expressions by combining like terms. Then, verify the equivalence of
your expression to the given expression by evaluating for the value(s) given in each problem.
10. 3(6a); for a = 3

11. 5d(4); for d = 2

12. (5r)( 2); for r = 3

13. 3b(8) + ( 2)(7c); for b = 2, c = 3

1
14. 4(3s) + 2( t); for s = 2 , t = 3

15. 9(4p) 2(3q) + p; for p = 1, q = 4

1
16. 7(4 g) + 3(5h) + 2( 3 g); for g = 12 , h = 3

The problems below are follow-up questions to Example 1, part (b) from Classwork: Find the sum of 2x + 1 and 5x.
17. Jack got the expression 7x + 1 and then wrote his answer as 1 + 7x. Is his answer an equivalent expression? How
do you know?

18. Jill also got the expression 7x + 1, and then wrote her answer as 1x + 7. Is her expression an equivalent
expression? How do you know?

Lesson 1: Generating Equivalent Expressions 13

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