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) and exponent(s). For example, 3x and 5x are like terms, while 3x and 4y are not.

Front

How do you simplify the expression 3n + 5p + 2 + n?

Back

You combine the like terms 3n and n to get 4n + 5p + 2.

Front

What is the result of simplifying the expression 5a + 2b - 3a + 4?

Back

The result is 2a + 2b + 4 after combining like terms.

Front

How do you simplify the expression x + 4 + 7(x + 5)?

Back

First, distribute 7 to both terms in the parentheses: 7x + 35. Then combine like terms: x + 7x + 4 + 35 = 8x + 39.

Front

What is the simplified form of 3x - 5x?

Back

The simplified form is -2x, as you combine the like terms.

Front

What is the result of simplifying the expression 3x + 2x?

Back

The result is 5x after combining the like terms.

Front

What is the distributive property and how does it relate to combining like terms?

Back

The distributive property states that a(b + c) = ab + ac. It is used to simplify expressions before combining like terms.

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.

Front

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

Back

The first step is to identify and group like terms together.