SOLUTION: What is 4y minus 4y? Is it y or is it zero?

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Question 387463: What is 4y minus 4y? Is it y or is it zero?
Answer by gwendolyn(128) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Realize that y is a variable, meaning that any number can take its place. A good way to check if an answer is correct is by plugging in a random number to see if you get the same result. In 4y-4y, if you plug in 1, you get:
4%2A1-4%2A1
%284-4%29
0
It is the same with any number. 4y and 4y are the same number no matter what you substitute in for y. Any number minus itself is always zero. Therefore, 4y-4y has to be 0.