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 3y are not.

Front

How do you combine like terms?

Back

To combine like terms, you add or subtract the coefficients of the terms that have the same variable. For example, 3x + 5x = (3 + 5)x = 8x.

Front

Simplify: 3x - 5x

Back

-2x

Front

Simplify: -2x + 11 + 6x

Back

4x + 11

Front

Simplify: 2x + 1 + 7x

Back

9x + 1

Front

Simplify: -8x + 4x

Back

-4x

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

Front

Simplify: 5a + 2b - 3a + 4

Back

2a + 2b + 4

Front

What is the first step in combining like terms?

Back

The first step is to identify the like terms in the expression.