What term refers to a number or expression that is multiplied by one or more other numbers or expressions to yield a product?

• A. Factor
• B. Term
• C. Coefficient
• D. Product

Answer: (A)

In multiplication, the items that come together to produce a result are called factors. A factor is a number or expression that is multiplied by one or more other numbers or expressions to yield a product. For example, 3 and 4 are factors of 12 because 3 × 4 = 12. In algebra, 2x is formed by multiplying 2 and x, so both 2 and x act as factors of the product 2x.

It’s helpful to distinguish this from related terms. A term is a single part of an expression separated by addition or subtraction, like 7y^2 or 3 in 7y^2 + 3. A coefficient is the numeric factor in front of a variable within a term, as in the 3 in 3x^2. The product is the result of multiplying the factors together. So the term described—what’s multiplied to get a product—is factor.