Simplifying and Combining Like Terms - Examples, Exercises and Solutions

Understanding Simplifying and Combining Like Terms

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Simplifying Like Terms in an Equation

When solving equations, simplifying like terms—terms with the same variable and exponent—makes the equation easier to solve by consolidating similar elements. Simplify the like terms in an equation involves combining the elements that belong to the same group. In other words: in all first-degree equations with one unknown, there are elements that belong to the group of unknowns (variables) and elements that belong to the group of numbers. The goal is to unite all the elements of each of the mentioned groups into respective sides to thus arrive at the result of the equation.

In order to so we need to follow these two steps:
  • Identify Like Terms: Locate terms with identical variable parts on each side of the equation.
  • Combine Terms: Add or subtract coefficients of like terms to simplify each side.

For example

X+2X=5+1 X+2X=5+1

In this equation, we can clearly see that the elements X X and 2X 2X belong to the group of unknowns, and therefore, we can combine them.

Conversely, the elements 5 5 and 1 1 belong to the group of numbers and thus can also be combined. 

3X=6 3X=6

X=2 X=2

The result of the equation is 2 2 .


Detailed explanation

Practice Simplifying and Combining Like Terms

Test your knowledge with 35 quizzes

Solve for X:

\( 3=5-x \)

Examples with solutions for Simplifying and Combining Like Terms

Step-by-step solutions included
Exercise #1

7x+4x+5x=0 7x+4x+5x=0

x=? x=\text{?}

Step-by-Step Solution

Let's combine all the x terms together:

7x+4x+5x=11x+5x=16x 7x+4x+5x=11x+5x=16x

The resulting equation is:

16x=0 16x=0

Now let's divide both sides by 16:

16x16=016 \frac{16x}{16}=\frac{0}{16}

x=016=0 x=\frac{0}{16}=0

Answer:

0 0

Video Solution
Exercise #2

7m+3m40m=0 7m+3m-40m=0

m=? m=\text{?}

Step-by-Step Solution

To solve this problem, we'll proceed with the following steps:

  • Step 1: Combine like terms of the given equation.
  • Step 2: Solve for the variable m m .

Now, let's work through these steps:

Step 1: Combine like terms:
We start with the equation 7m+3m40m=0 7m + 3m - 40m = 0 .
Combining these like terms entails adding or subtracting the coefficients of m m :

(7+340)m=0 (7 + 3 - 40)m = 0
Calculate the sum and difference of these coefficients:
(1040)m=0 (10 - 40)m = 0

This simplifies to:
30m=0 -30m = 0

Step 2: Solve for m m :
To isolate m m , divide both sides by 30-30:
m=030 m = \frac{0}{-30}

Calculate the right-hand side:

m=0 m = 0

Therefore, the solution to the problem is m=0 m = 0 . This corresponds to choice 3 from the provided answer options.

Answer:

0

Video Solution
Exercise #3

2a+3a+45a=0 2a+3a+45a=0

a=? a=\text{?}

Step-by-Step Solution

To solve the equation 2a+3a+45a=0 2a + 3a + 45a = 0 , follow these steps:

  • Step 1: Combine Like Terms.

Add the coefficients of a a :

2+3+45=50 2 + 3 + 45 = 50

  • Step 2: Substitute and Simplify.

This simplifies the equation to:

50a=0 50a = 0

  • Step 3: Solve for a a .

To find a a , divide both sides of the equation by 50:

a=050 a = \frac{0}{50}

a=0 a = 0

Therefore, the solution to the problem is a=0 a = 0 .

Answer:

0 0

Video Solution
Exercise #4

x+x=8 x+x=8

Step-by-Step Solution

To solve the equation x+x=8 x + x = 8 , follow these steps:

  • Step 1: Combine like terms. Since the left side of the equation is x+x x + x , it can be simplified to 2x 2x . This gives us the equation 2x=8 2x = 8 .
  • Step 2: Solve for x x by isolating it. Divide both sides of the equation by 2 to get x x .
  • Performing the division gives x=82 x = \frac{8}{2} .
  • Step 3: Calculate the result of the division. 82=4 \frac{8}{2} = 4 .

Therefore, the solution to the equation is x=4 x = 4 .

Answer:

4

Video Solution
Exercise #5

16+a=17 -16+a=-17

Step-by-Step Solution

Let's solve the equation 16+a=17 -16 + a = -17 by isolating the variable a a .

To isolate a a , add 16 to both sides of the equation to cancel out the 16 -16 :

16+a+16=17+16 -16 + a + 16 = -17 + 16

This simplification results in:

a=1 a = -1

Thus, the solution to the equation 16+a=17 -16 + a = -17 is a=1 a = -1 .

If we review the answer choices given, the correct answer is Choice 4, 1 -1 .

The solution to the problem is a=1 a = -1 .

Answer:

1 -1

Video Solution

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