Question

Why is ()left-parenthesis sans-serif 7 times sans-serif-italic w times sans-serif-italic z right-parenthesis cubed not equivalent to error occurred..?

a) The use of sans-serif fonts causes the discrepancy
b) The mathematical operations are incorrect in the first expression
c) There is a syntax error in the second expression
d) Cubing is not properly applied in the first expression

Answer 1

The expression (7wz)^3 is likely not equivalent to 'error occurred.' due to a syntax error in the notation of the second expression. The correct mathematical process involves applying the cube to each component within the parentheses, resulting in 7^3 * w^3 * z^3.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student asks why (7wz)^3 is not equivalent to 'error occurred.'. There are several possible issues that could lead to this misunderstanding; however, given the options, the correct answer is that there is likely a syntax error in the second expression. This syntax error could originate from a typo, copy-paste error, or a misinterpretation of the mathematical notation when transcribing the equation.

When cubing a product of numbers and variables, such as 7wz, you need to raise each part of the product to the power of three individually. Hence, (7wz)^3 = 7^3 * w^3 * z^3.

There is no impact of the font (sans-serif) on the mathematical equivalence, which eliminates option (a). The mathematical operations seem to be correctly applied in the cubing process which eliminates option (b). Since the cubing is applied correctly in the first expression (7wz)^3, we can also eliminate option (d). Therefore, the issue is most likely a syntax error in the notation of the second expression.