How to Evaluate A Math Expression

Evaluating an expression is a fundamental math problem for all math students. Many students struggle to know what is asked of them when faced with this problem. I'll discuss the basic steps for evaluating an algebraic expression.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Substitute the value for the given variable. May times the variable is "x". In the expression 2x + 1 for x = 5, you would re-write the expression with 5 taking the place of x. The result would be 2(5) + 1. Remember that 2x means "2 times x" so 2(5) is 10.

2. Use the order of operations to simplify the expression. The order of operations is as follows:
   P - Parentheses
   E - Exponents
   M - Multiply
   D - Divide
   A - Add
   S - Subtract
   
   Students can easily remember this order by remembering the ackronym PEMDAS. You also need to know that you multiply or divide from left to right if they are the only two operations left over. The same process goes for addition and subtraction.

3. Simplify your answer until you have a single number. It's always worth it to check your answer. Make sure you used the integer rules for adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing correctly.