Combining Like Terms and Distributive Property

Front

What is the process of combining like terms in an expression?

Back

Combining like terms involves adding or subtracting terms that have the same variable raised to the same power. For example, in the expression 3x + 4x, you can combine them to get 7x.

Front

What is the distributive property?

Back

The distributive property states that a(b + c) = ab + ac. It allows you to multiply a single term by each term inside a parentheses.

Front

Simplify the expression: 5x + 3x - 2x.

Back

6x.

Front

What is a coefficient?

Back

A coefficient is a numerical factor in a term of an algebraic expression. For example, in 4x, 4 is the coefficient.

Front

What is a variable?

Back

A variable is a symbol, often a letter, that represents an unknown value in an expression or equation.

Front

Simplify: 3(a + 2) + 4a.

Back

7a + 6.

Front

What is a constant in an algebraic expression?

Back

A constant is a fixed value that does not change. For example, in the expression 2x + 5, the number 5 is a constant.

Front

Combine like terms: 2x^2 + 3x - 4 + 5x^2 - 2x.

Back

7x^2 + x - 4.

Front

What does it mean to simplify an expression?

Back

To simplify an expression means to combine like terms and perform any operations to reduce it to its simplest form.

Front

Simplify: -3(x - 4) + 2.

Back

-3x + 12 + 2 = -3x + 14.