Definition
Numerical expression
A calculation phrase built only from numbers, operation signs, and grouping symbols.
What it means
It is a calculation written as a math phrase. The expression 8 + 3 × 2 tells you what to calculate, but it does not state an equality. Use the agreed order of operations to find its value.
Remember it
Numerical means numbers only: a calculation phrase, not an equation.
Example
Four bags hold 6 counters each, and 3 counters are loose. The numerical expression 4 × 6 + 3 represents the total. Its value is 27.
Watch for
4n + 3 is not numerical because it contains the variable n; it is an algebraic expression.
Common mix-up
The expression 4 × 6 + 3 is not the same thing as its value, 27.
Exact meaning
A numerical expression is a mathematical expression made only from numbers, operation signs, and grouping symbols. It has no variables and no relation sign such as =, <, or > as part of the expression.