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Ch. P - Fundamental Concepts of Algebra
Blitzer - College Algebra 8th Edition
Blitzer8th EditionCollege AlgebraISBN: 9780136970514Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 1, Problem 7

In Exercises 1–16, evaluate each algebraic expression for the given value or values of the variable(s). x2-6x+3, for x=7

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Substitute the given value of x (x = 7) into the algebraic expression x^2 - 6x + 3. This gives: 72 - 6(7) + 3.
Simplify the first term by calculating the square of 7: 72 = 49.
Simplify the second term by multiplying 6 by 7: 6(7) = 42.
Combine the simplified terms into the expression: 49 - 42 + 3.
Simplify the final expression by performing the subtraction and addition in order: 49 - 42 and then add 3.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Algebraic Expressions

An algebraic expression is a mathematical phrase that can include numbers, variables, and operation symbols. In this case, the expression x^2 - 6x + 3 consists of a quadratic term (x^2), a linear term (-6x), and a constant term (3). Understanding how to manipulate and evaluate these expressions is fundamental in algebra.
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Substitution

Substitution is the process of replacing a variable in an expression with a specific value. For the expression x^2 - 6x + 3, substituting x with 7 means replacing every instance of x in the expression with 7. This step is crucial for evaluating the expression and finding its numerical value.
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Evaluating Expressions

Evaluating an expression involves performing the necessary arithmetic operations to simplify it to a single numerical value. After substituting the variable, you will calculate the result by following the order of operations (PEMDAS/BODMAS). This ensures that you correctly handle exponents, multiplication, and addition in the right sequence.
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