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 simplify the expression 3x + 2x?

Back

You combine the like terms to get 5x.

Front

What is the result of simplifying the expression 3y - 7y?

Back

The result is -4y.

Front

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

Back

Combine like terms to get 2a + 2b + 4.

Front

What is the simplified form of -2x^2 - 4y - 2?

Back

The expression is already simplified as there are no like terms to combine.

Front

What is the first step in combining like terms?

Back

Identify and group the like terms in the expression.

Front

Can constants be combined with variable terms?

Back

No, constants cannot be combined with variable terms as they are not like terms.

Front

What is the simplified form of the expression 7y + 5?

Back

The expression is already in its simplest form as there are no like terms to combine.

Front

How do you handle negative coefficients when combining like terms?

Back

You treat negative coefficients just like any other number; combine them with like terms by adding or subtracting as appropriate.