COMBINING LTKE TERMS

It looks like you meant “combining like terms.” This is a fundamental step in simplifying algebraic expressions. Here’s a step-by-step guide: 1. Identify Like Terms:  • Like terms are terms that have the same variable(s) raised to the same power. For example, 3x and 5x are like terms, but 3x and 5x² are not.  • Constant numbers (with no variables) are also like terms with each other. 2. Group Like Terms:  • Write the expression so that like terms are next to each other. For example, consider the expression:    2x + 3 + 5x - 7    You can group it as (2x + 5x) + (3 - 7). 3. Combine the Coefficients:  • Add or subtract the numerical coefficients of like terms.   For the x-terms: 2x + 5x = 7x.   For the constants: 3 - 7 = -4.   So the simplified expression becomes 7x - 4. 4. Check Your Work:  • Make sure that only like terms have been combined and that the variable parts match exactly. Additional Example: Consider the expression:   4x² + 2x - 3x² + 8x + 5 - 7 Step 1: Group like terms.   (x² terms): 4x² - 3x²   (x terms): 2x + 8x   (constants): 5 - 7 Step 2: Combine each group.   x² terms: 4x² - 3x² = x²   x terms: 2x + 8x = 10x   Constants: 5 - 7 = -2 Final simplified expression:   x² + 10x - 2 Combining like terms simplifies expressions and makes solving equations more straightforward. If you have any more questions or need further clarification, feel free to ask!