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 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 3a + 7 - 2a?

Back

You combine the like terms 3a and -2a to get a + 7.

Front

What is the result of simplifying the expression 2x + 1 + 7x?

Back

The result is 9x + 1.

Front

How do you simplify the expression 20n + 4 + 5 + 7n?

Back

Combine like terms 20n and 7n to get 27n, and combine the constants 4 and 5 to get 9, resulting in 27n + 9.

Front

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

Back

The simplified form is 2a + 2b + 4.

Front

What is a coefficient in an algebraic expression?

Back

A coefficient is a numerical factor that multiplies a variable. For example, in the expression 3y, 3 is the coefficient.

Front

How do you identify like terms in an expression?

Back

To identify like terms, look for terms that have the same variable(s) raised to the same power.

Front

What is the first step in simplifying an expression with like terms?

Back

The first step is to group the like terms together.

Front

Can constants be combined with like terms?

Back

Yes, constants can be combined with other constants, but they cannot be combined with variable terms.