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Topic: Expressions vs Equations
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Subject:   Expressions vs Equations
Author: Jimbo
Date: Jan 24 2011
I've found that when students first start their formalisation of algebra,
language plays a significant part.  It is for this reason that I'm always
careful when using the word expression.  I like to make the distinction that an
equation is like a sentence, it contains the verb equal (as a symbol =).  An
expression never contains an equal sign and is like just one side of an
equation.  So we can simplify expressions (and factorise them etc.) but we can't
solve them which is what we'd like to do with an equation.
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