College

Which expression is equivalent to [tex]pq[/tex]?

A. [tex]p+q[/tex]
B. [tex]p-q[/tex]
C. [tex]\frac{p}{q}[/tex]
D. [tex]qp[/tex]

Answer :

Sure! Let's solve the problem by determining which expression is equivalent to [tex]\( pq \)[/tex].

The expression [tex]\( pq \)[/tex] represents the multiplication of two variables, [tex]\( p \)[/tex] and [tex]\( q \)[/tex]. Here's a breakdown of the options:

1. [tex]\( p + q \)[/tex]: This represents the addition of [tex]\( p \)[/tex] and [tex]\( q \)[/tex], which is not the same as multiplication.

2. [tex]\( p - q \)[/tex]: This represents the subtraction of [tex]\( q \)[/tex] from [tex]\( p \)[/tex], which is different from multiplication.

3. [tex]\( \frac{p}{q} \)[/tex]: This represents the division of [tex]\( p \)[/tex] by [tex]\( q \)[/tex], not multiplication.

4. [tex]\( qp \)[/tex]: This is the same as [tex]\( pq \)[/tex], since multiplication is commutative (the order of the factors does not affect the product). So, [tex]\( qp = pq \)[/tex].

The expression that is equivalent to [tex]\( pq \)[/tex] is [tex]\( qp \)[/tex], since they both represent the multiplication of the same two variables in reverse order, which does not change the value. Hence, the correct answer is [tex]\( qp \)[/tex].