Can you explain to me how to combine liketerms? I'm really confused right now. :S
2007-02-05 12:21:56 · 7 answers · asked by felix l 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
okay i will help.
think of variables as apples and oranges.
x can represent apples. Y can represent oranges.
You cannot add up apples and oranges as one.
so lets say u have 3 apples, 2 more apples, and 3 oranges.
u can add the apples...so you have 5 apples and 3 oranges.
lets make them into variables.
7a+5o+2a+4o
u can combine o's because they are alike...also the a's.
9a+9o
try another.
2y+x-8y+2x
-6y+3x
you can multiply any variable...but u will still have 2 variables...for instanct
7x times 3y
multiply the 3 times the 7 =21 multiply x and y = xy, therefore yo u have 21xy
2007-02-05 12:24:00 · answer #1 · answered by desirooo58 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is that the thing where 4x + 7X +3y - y becomes 11x + 2y? You just combine similar variables like all the x's and all the y's...add the numbers before them to combine them. x^2 and x are not the same so keep that in mind too.
2007-02-05 20:25:22 · answer #2 · answered by memphis0013 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
okay this is how you combine like terms
for example:
2x+4+6+4x
the like terms in this sentence is 2x & 4x and 4 & 6: so there are two pairs of like terms... you can only combine them if they are a like... so 4 and 6 are alike because they have no varibles with them... and 2x and 4x are alike because they have the same varible. but if you have 2x+3y those arent like terms... those are different... get it? Hope you do good luck!!! :)
2007-02-05 20:26:11 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
a question would be like
7+8z+4+3z
it just means the problems that are the same in this problem meaning 4+7=11 and 8z+3z=11z so the answer is
11z+11
2007-02-05 20:24:59 · answer #4 · answered by Christian Guitarist 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
combining like terms is to combine to values with the same variable
example 1
8x+7x=30 add the like terms [8x and 7x]
15x=30
example 2
9y-7b+6b+2y=72
11y-7b+6b=72 add the like terms [9y and 2y]
11y-b=72 add the like terms [-7b and 6b]
because 11y and -b have a diiferent variable, they are unable to be combined
if you didnt know what a variable is, it is the letter next to the # representing how much of something is
~There can also be like terms with powers
2007-02-05 20:32:44 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
like, if there are two x's in the problem, you would combine them to make 2x
2007-02-05 20:24:20 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
this might help
http://math.com/school/subject2/lessons/S2U2L4GL.html
2007-02-05 20:27:40 · answer #7 · answered by Fluffington Cuddlebutts 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋