More than Two Unknowns

additive identity

1 the number 0 (for the real numbers)

multiplicative identity

2 a(b + c) = ab + ac or a(b - c) = ab - ac

distributive property

3 equation containing more than one variable

literal equation

4 the number 1 (for the real numbers)

multiplicative inverse

5 the reciprocal of a number; if x is a number other than zero, then 1/x is the multiplicative inverse; the product of a number and its multiplicative inverse is 1