Simplifying Expressions: Combining Like Terms

Front

What does it mean to combine like terms in an 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 is a like term?

Back

Like terms are terms 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 simplify the expression -2x + 11 + 6x?

Back

Combine the like terms: -2x + 6x = 4x. The simplified expression is 4x + 11.

Front

What is the first step in simplifying the expression 7v + 2 + 12 + 2v?

Back

The first step is to combine the like terms: 7v and 2v, which gives you 9v.

Front

What is the simplified form of the expression n - 10 + 9n - 3?

Back

Combine like terms: n + 9n = 10n and -10 - 3 = -13. The simplified expression is 10n - 13.

Front

How do you distribute in the expression 3(9 + 2d) + 4d?

Back

Use the distributive property: 3 * 9 + 3 * 2d = 27 + 6d. Then combine with 4d to get 27 + 10d.

Front

What is the result of simplifying the expression 5(2 - 7n)?

Back

Distribute 5: 5 * 2 - 5 * 7n = 10 - 35n.

Front

What is the distributive property?

Back

The distributive property states that a(b + c) = ab + ac, meaning you can distribute a factor across terms inside parentheses.

Front

Why is it important to simplify expressions?

Back

Simplifying expressions makes them easier to work with, understand, and solve, especially in equations and inequalities.

Front

What is the difference between a constant and a variable in an expression?

Back

A constant is a fixed value (e.g., 5, -3), while a variable represents an unknown value (e.g., x, y) that can change.