GETTING STARTED PRIMERS

tutorials
Editing Math Expressions

This tutorial shows you a few tricks to editing math quickly. However,
the best way to learn how to create and edit expressions is to practice
entering your own expressions.

Note: These exercises require you to work within the Worksheet window.
To do so, choose Select All from the Edit menu. Then, either drag or
copy and paste all the regions into your Worksheet window.

Practice
Use the Spacebar, Backspace, Delete, Insert, and Arrow keys to
change math expressions:

1. Click between the 3 and 4 in the

expression below. Use the left arrow key
to move the Math editing lines between
the 1 and 2. See:

1234

Then press [Backspace] to delete the 1 See:

and press 5 to change the whole number
to 5234.
2. Click anywhere in the expression below.
Press [Spacebar] until you have the entire
expression between the Math editing lines.
See:

1234
12 or

If the vertical blue editing line is to the left, See:

press [Del] to highlight the expression.
If the vertical blue editing line is to the right,
press [Backspace].

Press [Del] or [Backspace] again to delete

the region.

3. Click to select the 4 in the denominator 3 1

of the fraction, 3/4. Use the right arrow key + -4
to move over to the 4 in the denominator of 4 4
the fraction, 1/4:

Press [Del] to delete the 4 and press 16 to

change the fraction:

Press [Insert] to move the vertical

blue editing line from right to left:

Press [Spacebar] enough times to select

the entire expression under the root:

Press [Del] twice to delete the expression

under the root and type 9= to get a
result:
4. Click to select the 2 and then press See:
[Del] to delete the +.

1
2+
5

If necessary, press [Insert] to change

the direction of selection.

Press - to insert a subtraction sign:

Click the 1 and press [Spacebar] to

select the fraction. Then press [Insert] to
change the direction of selection:

Press [Backspace] to delete the subtraction

sign. Then press + to put back the addition
sign:

5. In white space near this expression, See:

click, hold, and drag to select it.

2 2
a +b

Press [Insert] to change the direction of See:

selection. Then press + to insert an addition
sign and an empty placeholder.

In the placeholder, type: See:

\a^2 [Spacebar] -b^2

Moving Parts of an Expression
1. Place your selection between the math
editing lines. Click on the y and press
[Spacebar] once to select 3 - y. If you press
[Spacebar] twice, you also select the square
root. See:
2
y + 3-y

2. Choose Cut or Copy from the Edit menu.

3. Click where you want to paste the selected See:

expression, either in another equation or by
itself.

4. Choose Paste from the Edit menu. See:

x  sin ( 3 - y)
or
3-y

Note: If you need to backtrack in a complicated math expression, use the

Undo command from the Edit menu or Undo and Redo arrow buttons.
You can undo and redo multiple steps.

To go to the next topic, go back into the Resources window and press the
Next Topic arrow on the toolbar.