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 :

To determine which expression is equivalent to [tex]\( P Q \)[/tex], we start by examining the options given:

- [tex]\( p + q \)[/tex]
- [tex]\( p - q \)[/tex]
- [tex]\( \frac{p}{q} \)[/tex]
- [tex]\( qp \)[/tex]

In mathematics, when variables or constants are placed side by side, such as [tex]\( PQ \)[/tex], it typically implies multiplication between them. Therefore, [tex]\( PQ \)[/tex] is the product of [tex]\( P \)[/tex] and [tex]\( Q \)[/tex].

Considering the options:

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

2. [tex]\( p - q \)[/tex]: This represents the difference between the two variables, which is not equivalent to multiplication either.

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 option shows the multiplication of [tex]\( q \)[/tex] and [tex]\( p \)[/tex], which matches the operation implied by [tex]\( PQ \)[/tex].

In terms of multiplication, [tex]\( pq \)[/tex] is the same as [tex]\( qp \)[/tex] because multiplication is commutative (the order doesn't matter).

Therefore, the expression equivalent to [tex]\( PQ \)[/tex] is [tex]\( qp \)[/tex].