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 are like terms?

Back

Like terms are terms in an 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, 2a and 4a 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 in the expression.

Front

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

Back

You would combine the like terms: (5x - 3x) + (2y + 4y) = 2x + 6y.

Front

What is the result of simplifying the expression 10d - 3d + 2e + 4d?

Back

The result is 11d + 2e.

Front

In the expression 7j + 3k + 10j - k, what are the like terms?

Back

The like terms are 7j and 10j, and 3k and -k.

Front

What is the simplified form of 4k + 6k - 3k + 3s - s?

Back

The simplified form is 7k + 2s.

Front

How do you handle constants when combining like terms?

Back

Constants are treated as like terms with no variable. For example, in the expression 3 + 5 + 2x, you can combine the constants 3 and 5 to get 8 + 2x.

Front

What is the simplified result of the expression 4q + 4t + 3q + t?

Back

The simplified result is 7q + 5t.