Final answer:
The three common ways to simplify expressions on an expression mat are combining like terms, distributing, and factoring.
Step-by-step explanation:
- Combine like terms: Simplify expressions by adding or subtracting like terms. For example, in the expression 3x + 2x - 5, combine the x terms (3x and 2x) to get 5x, then subtract 5 from it to get 5x - 5.
- Distribute: Simplify expressions by applying the distributive property. For example, in the expression 2(3x + 4), distribute the 2 to both terms inside the parentheses to get 6x + 8.
- Factor: Simplify expressions by factoring out common factors. For example, in the expression 4x + 8, both terms can be divided by 4, resulting in x + 2.