Arithmetic Expressions — Class 7 Mathematics

An arithmetic expression is a mathematical phrase such as , or that has a single value — the number it evaluates to. This chapter teaches you to read expressions ( as "5 times 25" or "the product of 5 and 25"), to write them for real situations, and to compare two expressions using , and based on their values. You see that many different expressions can stand for the same number, for example , , and all equal . The heart of the chapter is the structure of expressions: how brackets, terms, and the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division fit together, and why following the agreed order of operations gives one definite value. You learn to use brackets to group terms, to "open" brackets, and to apply useful properties such as the distributive property to swap, regroup and simplify expressions efficiently. These skills lay the groundwork for algebra, where letters later stand in for numbers.