Equation Editor Syntax Guidelines

This section provides guidelines for entering free-response math answers in the ThomsonNOW Equation Editor.

Always use the Submit button to enter your final answer.

Read questions and instructions carefully. Your instructor may be looking for answers to be in a very specific format. Pay strict attention to instructions for simplifying expressions, rounding, scientific notation, and so on.

Try to familiarize yourself with the Equation Editor using the Equation Editor Tutorial, or in Practice or Homework assignments, before using it in a test.

In almost all cases, using the Equation Editor's function toolbars will help you make sure your answer is formatted, submitted, and graded correctly.

Use commas to separate items, not to format a number. Example: Enter 1000000, not 1,000,000. (ThomsonNOW sees items separated by a comma as separate answers.)

The Equation Editor buttons may vary depending on the book or assignment content. In other words, you may not always have all of the same buttons, but you will have the ones you need to complete the assignment.

Use parentheses ( ) as needed to make expressions clear. Example: sin(x)^2 is not the same as (sin(x))^2. Hint: You can use Ctrl+( to enter parentheses faster.

Multiplication is implied only between a number and a following variable name. For example, 2x is equivalent to 2*x, but xy is not equivalent to x*y.

Some of the Equation Editor functions have keyboard shortcuts that let you type functions directly into the editor without the toolbars. Some of these shortcuts require a following space to render the correct notation, and some don't. In general, the best way to ensure correct answer syntax is to use the toolbar buttons.