Question

greg says that the expression xyz has three terms because it uses three different variables. critique gregs reasoning and explain whether he is correct.

a. greg is not correct. the expression xyz has one term, xyz. it is the only term because there are no other parts separated by a plus or minus sign.

b. greg is correct but his reasoning is incorrect. the three terms are x, y, and z because they are actually separated by multiplication, even though the multiplication symbol is not shown.

c. greg is not correct. the expression xyz has no terms because there are no plus or minus signs.

click to select your answer and then click check answer

Explanation:

To determine the correct answer, we analyze the concept of terms in an algebraic expression. A term is a part of an expression separated by plus or minus signs. In the expression \(xyz\), there are no plus or minus signs separating parts, so it is a single term (the product of \(x\), \(y\), and \(z\)).

• Option A: Correctly states Greg is wrong. \(xyz\) is one term as no plus/minus separates parts.
• Option B: Incorrect. Multiplication does not separate terms; terms are separated by addition/subtraction.
• Option C: Incorrect. \(xyz\) is a term (a single term), not "no terms".

Answer:

A. Greg is not correct. The expression \(xyz\) has one term, \(xyz\). It is the only term because there are no other parts separated by a plus or minus sign.