Algebra

Dividing Only One Term by a Coefficient

A student divides the first term by a coefficient but leaves the other terms unchanged.

Quick check

Why students make it

They treat the coefficient as attached only to the variable term. They forget that dividing a sum means dividing every term in the sum.

The rule done right

When an entire expression is divided by a number, divide every term by that number. For c≠0c \ne 0, a+bc=ac+bc\frac{a+b}{c}=\frac{a}{c}+\frac{b}{c}.

Related resources

equationsdistributive-propertyfractions