Combining Like Terms

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Lesson Objective
This lesson shows you how to identify and combine 'like terms' in algebraic expressions.
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About This Lesson
When you are given an algebraic expression, usually you will need to simplify the expression.

To do so, first you must learn to identify all the terms in the expression that can be combined. These terms are called 'like terms'.

This lesson shows you the process involved in identifying and combining like terms.
Transition from number to variable

Study Tips

 
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Tip #1
Know how to identify all the terms in the algebraic expression.
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Tip #2
'Like terms' are terms that have exactly same variables. Also, the exponent (i.e. power) of the variables must be the same.
Now, watch the following math videos to know more.

Math Video

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Math Video Transcript

Practice Questions & More

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Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
Now, let's try some MCQ questions to understand this lesson better.

You can start by going through the series of questions on combining like terms or pick your choice of question below.
  1. Question 1 on identifying the number of terms in an expression
  2. Question 2 on identifying like terms in an expression