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) and exponent(s). For example, 3x and 5x are like terms.

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 2x + 3y + 4x, 2x and 4x are like terms.

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.

Front

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

Back

Combine like terms: (4a - 2a) + (3b + 5b) = 2a + 8b.

Front

What is the result of combining the like terms in the expression 2x + 3x + 4y - y?

Back

The result is (2x + 3x) + (4y - y) = 5x + 3y.

Front

In the expression 7v + 2 + 12 + 2v, what are the like terms?

Back

The like terms are 7v and 2v, and the constants 2 and 12.

Front

What is the simplified form of the expression 3x - 5x?

Back

The simplified form is -2x.

Front

How do you combine constants in an expression?

Back

To combine constants, simply add or subtract the numerical values. For example, 2 + 12 = 14.

Front

What is the simplified expression for 2r + 2 + 5r - 2 + r?

Back

The simplified expression is 8r.