Explanation for Question 6 From the Math (No Calc) Section on the 2020 March Sat
So looking at number six, right? We see this asking us, 2 which of the following is equivalent to the given expression. 3 And when the sat says this phrase equivalent to the given expression, 4 what they really mean is which of the following is equal to what we 5 showed you earlier. And most of the time, 6 that means simplify, right? 7 So this phrase equivalent to the given expression is sat code usually 8 for simplify. And so let's look at what we have up here, 9 right? We have X to the third plus X parentheses parentheses plus X squared 10 minus X. So the first thing that we can notice is if I want 11 to simplify this, I want to try to get rid of the parentheses and 12 combine my like terms. And what I have out here is a plus, 13 right? So I can think about distributing that positive sign, 14 which doesn't actually change anything. 15 It just allows me to get rid of the parentheses, 16 right? So I have X the third plus X plus X squared minus X. 17 So no signs have changed. And now I can combine like terms, 18 here's an X and here's a minus X, right? So those will cancel and 19 that'll leave you with X, the third plus X squared. 20 And so we just want to find the answer choice that says that, 21 and that's going to have to be C. 22 Right. Um, and so with that, 23 our best answer is going to be C something that might lead you to 24 choose. One of the incorrect answers is perhaps not distributing the positive, 25 right? Or maybe multiplying your quantities together, 26 doing this times, this, 27 or maybe subtracting them. But if you add them together, 28 you'll notice that the Xs cancel. And so you're just left with X cubed 29 plus X squared.