Question

A student claims that the expression “9 times the sum of a number and 13" is translated to the algebraic expression 9n + 13. Is the student correct? If not, what is the correct expression?​

Answer 1

Sample Response: The student is not correct. He should use parentheses like this 9(n+13). Without the parentheses, it means nine times n plus 13, but should be the sum of n plus 13 multiplied by 9.

Answer 2

No, the student is not correct. The correct expression is 9(n+13).

Explanation:

"9 times the sum of a number and 13" means you must multiply 9 by the sum, not just by the number. 9n + 13 would be "the sum of 9 times a number and 13." Slightly different wording.