Combining Like Terms

Front

What does it mean to combine like terms in an algebraic expression?

Back

Combining like terms means to simplify an expression by adding or subtracting terms that have the same variable raised to the same power.

Front

What are like terms?

Back

Like terms are terms in an algebraic expression that have the same variable(s) raised to the same power. For example, 3x and 5x are like terms, while 3x and 4y are not.

Front

How do you identify like terms in an expression?

Back

To identify like terms, look for terms that have the same variable(s) and exponent(s). For example, in the expression 2a + 3b + 4a, the like terms are 2a and 4a.

Front

What is the first step in simplifying an expression by combining like terms?

Back

The first step is to group the like terms together in the expression.

Front

If you have the expression 5x + 3y - 2x + 4y, how would you simplify it?

Back

You would combine the like terms: (5x - 2x) + (3y + 4y) = 3x + 7y.

Front

What is the result of combining the like terms in the expression 7a + 2b - 3a + 5b?

Back

The result is (7a - 3a) + (2b + 5b) = 4a + 7b.

Front

How do you handle constants when combining like terms?

Back

Constants are also like terms. You can combine them by adding or subtracting them just like you would with variable terms.

Front

What is the simplified form of the expression 4 + 3 - 2 + 5?

Back

The simplified form is 10, as all the constants are combined.

Front

In the expression -6h - 6h + 10 + 2c + 2c, what are the combined like terms?

Back

The combined like terms are -12h + 10 + 4c.

Front

What is the simplified form of the expression 2x + 3x + 4 - 2?

Back

The simplified form is 5x + 2.