Thank you to the maths.com user who sent in the following question
3x + 7x - 2x
Where we have addition and subtraction of numbers of the same letter
the most simple way to work is to do the addition and then do the subtraction
So the question can be done as
3x + 7x - 2x
= 10x - 2x
= 8x
Many thanks to the maths.com user who sent in this question
4t/2t
In words we have four t divided by two t
4t
2
1
the t's will cancel to give
which will then cancel to give
2t
4
2
Thank you to the maths.com user who sent in this question
where we have two different letter instead of just one
10d + 3e - 2d - 7e
STEP 1 - Collect terms
here this will mean we put the d's with the d's and then put the e's with the e's
10d + 3e - 2d - 7e
= 10d - 2d + 3e - 7e
STEP 2 - Combine like terms
here this will mean we combine the d's with the d's and then combime the e's with the e's
10d + 3e - 2d - 7e
= 10d - 2d + 3e - 7e
= 8d - 4e
QUESTION
a + a + v + d + f - g
We can add the two a's together
a + a + v + d + f - g
= 2a + v + d + f - g
If you wished, you could put the letters in a more alphabetical order
QUESTION
3x + 5x + 3y + 7y
We can add the x terms together
3x + 5x + 3y + 7y
= 8x + 3y + 7y
We can add the y terms together
3x + 5x + 3y + 7y
= 8x + 3y + 7y
= 8x + 10y
We cannot add the x terms and the y terms together
so we have our final answer
QUESTION
Simplify 3a + 4b
We cannot add the term with an a in it
to the term with a b in it
thus we cannot simplify 3a + 4b
QUESTION
6y - 2 + 3y + 9
Collect like terms
put the terms that contain a y together
put the terms that just contain a number together with the positive one first
6y - 2 + 3y + 9
= 6y + 3y + 9 - 2
Now combine like terms
6y - 2 + 3y + 9
= 6y + 3y + 9 - 2
= 9y + 7
We cannot add the term with an y in it
to the term that is just a number
thus we cannot simplify any further
QUESTION
6g - 3h + 5h - 2g
Collect like terms
put the terms that contain a g together
put the terms that contain an h together with the positive first
6g - 3h + 5h - 2g
= 6g - 2g + 5h - 3h
Now combine like terms
6g - 3h + 5h - 2g
= 6g - 2g + 5h - 3h
= 4g + 2h
We cannot add the term with a g in it
to the term with an h in it
thus we cannot simplify any further
QUESTION
p x p x p x p
Four p's are being multiplied together
We can express this more simply by using a power
p x p x p x p
= p4
We cannot simplify any further
QUESTION
4g - 3h + 5g - 2h
Collect like terms
put the terms that contain a g together
put the terms that contain an h together
4g + 5g - 3h - 2h
Now combine like terms
4g - 3h + 5g - 2h
= 4g + 5g - 3h - 2h
= 9g - 5h
We cannot add the term with a g in it
to the term that has an h in it
thus we cannot simplify any further
Edited by Dr David Cornelius an Independent Private Maths Tutor with over 25 years of experience and The Secretary of The Association of Tutors in the UK for 15 years.