Cover (algebra)

Let's say you have a big box and you want to cover it completely with some smaller boxes. This is kind of like when you use blankets to cover yourself up when you're sleeping in bed. In algebra, when we say "cover", we mean finding ways to combine numbers or variables (letters that stand for numbers) to make bigger numbers or expressions.

For example, let's say you have the numbers 2 and 3. You could "cover" them by adding them together to make 5. Or you could "cover" them by multiplying them to make 6. These are both ways of combining the numbers to make a bigger number.

In algebra, we use letters to stand for numbers. For example, if we say "x + 3", it means "some number (we don't know what it is yet) plus 3". We can "cover" this expression by substituting a number in for x. For example, if we say x = 2, then "x + 3" becomes "2 + 3", which equals 5.

There are lots of different ways to "cover" expressions in algebra, and sometimes it can be tricky to figure out the best way. But if you remember that "covering" is just about combining numbers or variables to make bigger expressions, it can be a little easier to understand.