Question

create an equivalent expression using the fewest number of terms.
$a + a + a + a$
options: $4a$, $4a + 4$, $a$ to the fourth power, $a + 4$

Explanation:

Step1: Identify repeated addition

The expression is $a+a+a+a$, which is 4 instances of $a$ added together.

Step2: Convert to multiplication

Repeated addition of a term is equivalent to multiplying the term by the number of times it is added. So $a+a+a+a = 4 \times a = 4a$.

Answer:

4a