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 and exponent. For example, 3x and 5x are like terms.

Front

Simplify: 2x + 4y + 8z + 3x + y

Back

5x + 5y + 8z

Front

Simplify: 3a + 2b + 7a - b

Back

10a + b

Front

Simplify: 4 + 3x + 2 + 1

Back

3x + 7

Front

Simplify: 4y + 3y + 2

Back

7y + 2

Front

Simplify: 5n + 1 + n + 5 - 2n

Back

4n + 6

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 a constant term?

Back

A constant term is a term in an expression that does not contain any variables. For example, in the expression 3x + 5, the number 5 is a constant term.

Front

How do you identify like terms in an expression?

Back

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