Checking Multiplication Sentences/Equations in a table without using LaTeX

Questions
1

I have asked students to enter a Multiplication Sentence/Equation in a table cell that represents a partial product of a decimal multiplication problem.

Example: 0.1\cdot0.8=0.08

I would like a better way to check this than matching LaTeX, since students would be marked wrong in feedback if they leave out the leading zeros (.1\cdot.8=.08 would be marked incorrect) or if they switch the left and right sides of their equation. I have tried doing a number check on the left and right sides, but I would also need to check that the equality is true, and I am not sure how to do that given that all of the cases that I found included variables, which my case does not have.

Link to Activity (currently using LaTeX check): CL - Decimal Multiplication Check • Activity Builder by Desmos

2

This will probably work:

check= parseEquation(this.latex).differenceFunction(`x`).evaluateAt(0)=0

This creates a function of the left side - right side (in terms of x because the function needs some variable input), evaluates it at 0, and confirms if the difference is 0.

Change this.latex to whatever table cellContent is appropriate.