Distribute and Combine Like Terms

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What is a coefficient in an algebraic expression?

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A coefficient is a numerical factor that multiplies a variable in an algebraic expression.

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The coefficient of the second term (-3x) is -3.

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The coefficient of the third term (8y) is 8.

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What does it mean to distribute in algebra?

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To distribute means to multiply a term by each term inside a set of parentheses.

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What are like terms in algebra?

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Like terms are terms that have the same variable raised to the same power.

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How do you combine like terms?

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You add or subtract the coefficients of like terms while keeping the variable part unchanged.

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What is the first step in simplifying an expression with parentheses?

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The first step is to distribute any coefficients outside the parentheses to each term inside.