How do you translate #b^2-3c^3# into a verbal expression?

Question

6977 views around the world

You can reuse this answer
Creative Commons License

Answer 1 · 2015-07-26T21:52:37

#b^2-3c^3# means "The difference between b squared and three c cubed."

Answer 2 · 2015-07-28T00:14:51

"The square of b minus three times the cube of c"

(that makes it clear that it is #3 * c^3#, not #(3c)^3#)

If it was this, for example:

#b^2 - (3c)^3#

it would be:

"The square of b minus the cube of the quantity three times c"

Furthermore, if one were to say:

"The square of b minus three times c, quantity cubed"

it could be confused as:

#(b^2 - 3c)^3#

or

#b^2 - (3c)^3#

(which quantity was cubed? #3c# or the whole thing?)