What is a number sentence that contains an equal sign called?

• A. Equation
• B. Expression
• C. Inequality
• D. Term

Answer: (A)

An equation is a number sentence that uses an equals sign to show that the two sides have the same value. For example, 5 + 2 = 7 means the left side and the right side are equal. Equations can be true or false, and you can solve them to find missing values, like 2x + 3 = 7, which asks you to find x. An expression, by contrast, is just a math phrase like 5 + 2 that has a value but doesn’t state that two sides are equal. An inequality uses a <, >, ≤, or ≥ sign to compare values, not test for equality. A term is a single part of an expression. So the number sentence with an equal sign is an equation.