Combining Like Terms

Front

What are like terms?

Back

Like terms are terms that have the same variable raised to the same power. For example, 3x and 5x are like terms, while 3x and 4y are not.

Front

How do you combine like terms?

Back

To combine like terms, add or subtract the coefficients of the terms that have the same variable. For example, in 2x + 3x, you add the coefficients (2 + 3) to get 5x.

Front

What is the result of combining -2x and 6x?

Back

The result is 4x, since -2x + 6x = (6 - 2)x = 4x.

Front

Simplify the expression: 2x + 1 + 7x

Back

The simplified expression is 9x + 1.

Front

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

Back

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

Front

What do you get when you simplify -10x + 15 - 3x + 2?

Back

The simplified expression is -13x + 17.

Front

How do you identify like terms in an expression?

Back

Look for terms that have the same variable(s) and exponent(s). For example, in 4x^2 + 3x + 2x^2, 4x^2 and 2x^2 are like terms.

Front

What is the result of combining 5x + 4x?

Back

The result is 9x.

Front

If you have the expression 3y + 2y + 5, what is the simplified form?

Back

The simplified form is 5y + 5.

Front

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

Back

The first step is to group the like terms together.