(no subject)

[manipulativemist]

[Well, DR, there looks like there's a new Kirino around-- one of a different variety though. You might spot him poking through the hallways with a scowl.]

You have got to be kidding me.

Comments

[huntersnet]

[ ...what did he come here for-- Oh yeah! ]

Can you help me with my homework anyway?

[manipulativemist]

I guess? What do you need help with?

[This is weird, normally kids from other schools back off when they learn another kid is from Mannouzaka.]

[huntersnet]

[ Kirino doesn't seem too bad so Kariya is okay with staying. And besides, he never played against Mannouzaka before so it's not like he knows the horrors. ]

Maths. I don't get algebra at all. [ Hang on a sec, he's digging out his maths book and textbook. ]

[manipulativemist]

It's not that difficult once you get the hang of it.

[He can wait.]

[huntersnet]

[ Okay there, now he has his books out he'll flick to a page and show it to Kirino.

" Multiply out the brackets and simplify where possible:"

a) 4( x + y - z )

b) 7( a + b ) + 2( a + b )"]

I already did a) but I don't get b).

[manipulativemist]

It's actually pretty simple.

You need to distribute both the seven and the two to the a's and b's in parentheses, and once you've done that, combine the like terms.

[huntersnet]

....distribute.... to the... parentheses and then combination?

[ Dude, you're not making any sense. ]

[manipulativemist]

... Here. We'll start with the seven.

You know the distributive property, correct?

[huntersnet]

...Vaguely.

[ It's the one with the numbers, right? ]

[manipulativemist]

... [Sigh.

This is going to take a while.]

[huntersnet]

[ There's a small blush forming because he does actually try! It's just hard to understand and the teachers are poopy. It's not his fault he has trouble understanding mathematics. ]

...Soooo?

[manipulativemist]

All right, here's what you do.

We distribute the seven to both the a and the b--err, that is, you multiply a by seven as well as b by seven. Got that so far?

[huntersnet]

[ And herein the problem lies. ]

No. Why do you have to multiply the b and the a even though the a is next to it?

[manipulativemist]

[Cue the facepalm!]

Because the a and b are different terms.

[huntersnet]

How do you know they're different terms?

[ ab isn't a different term. But a, b, are?? ]

[manipulativemist]

They're separate variables, represented by different letters.

[huntersnet]

But what about when it's like, ab?

[manipulativemist]

Kariya, just concentrate on the problem at hand, okay?

[huntersnet]

Fine. Okay. So we have 7a and 7b. What's next? [ and what goes in between them? ]

[manipulativemist]

--Oh, right, there should be a plus in between 7a and 7b. Next we move onto distributing the two: multiplying the a and b in parentheses there by two, so you should end up with 7a + 7b + 2a + 2b.

[huntersnet]

....Right, I kind of see.

[ He'll just... assume that everything is plus then because plus signs are all over. ]

[manipulativemist]

Now, 7a and 2a are what's considered like terms, because they have the same variable. You add them, which should give you 9a. This leaves 7b and 2b. You add those as well, which gives you 9b. You put a plus between those two and that's it.

[huntersnet]

Variables are the letters, right?

[ Oh! What's this? It's making sense! Wow! Wow!

Mood +2849318 :DDD ]

Aha! I see!

[manipulativemist]

That's right.

Do you need help with anything else, then?

[huntersnet]

Nope.

Thanks, Senpai! Hope you come back to Raimon soon!

[ --wait. That's not what he said was it? ]