Distributing, Factoring, and Combining Like Terms

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What are like terms?

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Like terms are terms that have the same variable(s) raised to the same power. For example, 3x and 5x are like terms.

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How can you combine like terms?

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You can combine like terms by adding or subtracting their coefficients. For example, 3x + 5x = 8x.

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What does it mean to distribute in math?

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Distributing means multiplying a term by each term inside a set of parentheses. For example, 2(x + 3) = 2x + 6.

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What is factoring in algebra?

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Factoring is the process of breaking down an expression into simpler components, or factors, that when multiplied together give the original expression.

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How do you identify unlike terms?

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Unlike terms are terms that have different variable(s) or different powers. For example, 2x and 2y are unlike terms.

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What is the distributive property?

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The distributive property states that a(b + c) = ab + ac. It allows you to multiply a single term by multiple terms inside parentheses.

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Can you add unlike terms?

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No, you cannot add unlike terms. You can only combine like terms.

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What is a coefficient?

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A coefficient is a numerical factor in a term. For example, in 4x, 4 is the coefficient.

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What is a variable in algebra?

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A variable is a symbol, usually a letter, that represents an unknown value. For example, x and y are variables.

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What does it mean to simplify an expression?

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Simplifying an expression means to combine like terms and reduce it to its simplest form.