Common Algebra Mistakes
Fragment: Factoring

The Mistake Fragment

Find the algebra mistake:

mistake


Need a hint? Look carefully at the red part of the algebra:

mistake


The Correction

correction


An Explanation

The expression cannot be simplified by multiplying the coefficients of y2; instead the coefficients must be added, since we must factor out the common y2 from the sum. (Factoring in this way is the reverse of distributing multiplication over addition.)

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