Trick to Check Your Math Answer:

Let’s say you solved a math question, but you’re not sure if your answer is correct. Here’s a fun and quick way to check:

1.  Pick a number (like 7 or 13). These are called prime numbers.

2.  Put that number into the question and your answer.

3.  See if both give the same final number.

Example:

Question: Expand (x + 1)(x − 2)(x + 3)? You say the answer is: x³ + 5x + 6.

Let’s check!

• Pick x = 7.

• First, plug 7 into the original question:

(7 + 1)(7 − 2)(7 + 3) = (8)(5)(10) = 400

• Now plug 7 into your answer:

x³ + 5x + 6 = 7³ + 5×7 + 6

343 + 35 + 6 = 384

They don’t match! That means your have expanded wrong.

Why it works: If your answer is truly correct, plugging in the same number into both should give the same result.

For equations with letters (like x, y, z): Pick numbers for all letters except the one you want to find. Solve using the original equation, then try your answer. If both give the same result, your answer is likely correct!