Combine 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 combine the like terms in the expression: 3r + 2r - 8t?

Back

You add the coefficients of the like terms: 3r + 2r = 5r, so the expression simplifies to 5r - 8t.

Front

What is the result of combining the like terms in the expression: 12c + 2 + 7c?

Back

You combine the like terms 12c and 7c to get 19c, so the expression simplifies to 19c + 2.

Front

How do you simplify the expression: x - 8 + 4x?

Back

Combine the like terms x and 4x to get 5x, so the expression simplifies to 5x - 8.

Front

What is the simplified form of the expression: 5a + 2b - 3a + 4?

Back

Combine the like terms 5a and -3a to get 2a, so the expression simplifies to 2a + 2b + 4.

Front

Can the terms 2xy and 3xy^2 be combined? Why or why not?

Back

No, they cannot be combined because they are not like terms; they have different variable powers.

Front

What is the coefficient in the term 7x?

Back

The coefficient is 7, which is the number multiplying the variable x.

Front

What is the constant term in the expression: 4x + 5 - 2x + 3?

Back

The constant term is 8, which is the result of combining the constants 5 and 3.

Front

How do you identify like terms in a polynomial?

Back

Like terms can be identified by looking for terms that have the same variable(s) raised to the same power.