COMBINING
LIKE TERMS
Section 1.4
TERMS
 Terms
are separated by + and –
signs in an algebraic expression
4𝑥
2
+ 3𝑥 − 2 (3 terms)
LIKE TERMS
UNLIKE TERMS
4𝑥 + 8𝑥
3𝑥 + 5
2𝑦 − 7𝑦
3𝑥 − 7𝑦
2
5𝑥 + 7𝑥
2
2
−2𝑥𝑦 − 9𝑥𝑦
2
2𝑥 + 6𝑥
2
9𝑥𝑦 2 + 2𝑥 2
LIKE TERMS
 Terms
that contain the same
variables, with corresponding
variables having the same power.
6𝑥
+ 3𝑥 − 7
HANDS-ON EQUATIONS
Blue
Pawn: Positive x
White Pawn: Negative x
Green Cube: Positive numbers
Red Cube: Negative numbers
REPRESENT
3x+5+2x+2
REPRESENT
2x+3+5x-6
REPRESENT
-3x+1-2x-6
REPRESENT
4x-8-5x+2
SIMPLEST FORM

Contains no like terms and no parentheses.
COMBINING LIKE TERMS
 Application
of the distributive
property.
 6𝑥
+ 7𝑥 + 2 = 6 + 7 𝑥 + 2 = 13𝑥 + 2
COEFFICIENT
 It
is the numerical factor. The
number being multiplied by the
variable.
 To
combine like terms we can simply
combine the coefficients of the like
terms.
SIMPLIFY:
17𝑥 + 18𝑦 + 3𝑥 + 5
SIMPLIFY:
2
2
6𝑥 + 7𝑥 − 2𝑥 − 4𝑥
SIMPLIFY:
3
2
3
8𝑦 − 7𝑦 + 6𝑦 + 3𝑦 − 4𝑦
SIMPLIFY:
2𝑥 − 3𝑦 + 8𝑥 − 7𝑦 + 3
SIMPLIFY:
2
7𝑦 − 10𝑦 − 12𝑦 + 4𝑥
2
SIMPLIFY:
5 3𝑥 + 7 − 8𝑥
SIMPLIFY:
6 2𝑥 − 3 − 8(5𝑥 − 2)
SIMPLIFY:
−4 7𝑥 − 8 − (3𝑥 + 9)
SIMPLIFY:
5 2𝑥 + 3𝑦 + 4 𝑥 − 2𝑦 + 3
HOMEWORK

Worksheet