Question

Which of the following expressions is equivalent to 5x^2?

a)5a
b)a
c)5xx
d)5°

Answer 1

The expression equivalent to 5x^2 is c) 5xx, as it correctly represents the variable x squared (multiplied by itself) and multiplied by the number 5.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks which of the following expressions is equivalent to 5x^2. This relates to the concept of integer powers in mathematics, specifically the operation of squaring a number or a variable. The expression 5x^2 represents the multiplication of the number 5 by the variable x raised to the second power. Squaring a number means multiplying it by itself. In the case of 5x^2, it translates to 5 multiplied by x multiplied by x (5 * x * x).

Looking at the options provided: a) 5a, b) a, c) 5xx, and d) 5°, the expression that matches our interpretation of 5x^2 is c) 5xx. This is because 'xx' indicates x multiplied by itself, equivalent to x^2, and the coefficient 5 remains the same, adhering to the original expression 5x^2.

Answer 2

The expression equivalent to 5x^2 is option (c) 5xx, as exponents indicate multiplication of the base number by itself, signified by repeated multiplication.

Step-by-step explanation:

The expression that is equivalent to 5x^2 is represented by option (c) 5xx. In mathematical terms, an exponent, such as the '2' in 5x^2, signifies the base number should be multiplied by itself. Therefore, 5x^2 is the same as 5 times x times x, which is precisely what is represented by the expression 5xx.

The key here is to understand that raising a number to a power is just shorthand for repeated multiplication, as seen in expressions like 5^2, which means 5 multiplied by itself to result in 25. When we see x^2, it indicates x should be multiplied by itself once, hence the expression 5x^2 can be written as 5 * x * x.