Using formulas

Once you have defined the variables for a particular question, you can use formulas to state the question and the corresponding multiple-choice answers. A formula is a special type of mathematical expression that is evaluated before it is displayed in your file. For example, if you enter a formula consisting of the simple expression 3 + 5, Scientific Notebook displays in your file. Similarly, if you enter (a + b)(a + b) as a formula, Scientific Notebook displays $\left(\vphantom{ a+b}\right.$a + b$\left.\vphantom{ a+b}\right)^{{2}% }_{}$in your file. If you have Helper Lines turned on in the View menu, formulas appear against a colored background, as shown here. If you have Helper Lines turned off, formulas are visually indistinguishable from ordinary mathematical expressions.

Note that if the expression in a formula includes variables determined by random number functions or by certain mathematical operations, Scientific Notebook may not have all the information it needs to display the fully evaluated formula until it generates an exam file. For example, if as noted above you enter (a + b)(a + b) as a formula and then use random number functions to define a and b, Scientific Notebook displays $\left(\vphantom{ a+b}\right.$a + b$\left.\vphantom{ a+b}\right)^{{2}% }_{}$in your source file. It can't evaluate the expression further until the random values are assigned to the variables, which doesn't occur until the exam file is generated. At that time, if a = 2 and b = 3 , the formula appears as  in the generated exam. You should ignore the formula that appears in the Exam Builder source file, which may differ significantly from both the statement of the formula and the fully evaluated form of the formula. You can see the formula in its unevaluated form if you double-click it.


Subsections