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LIKE TERMS
N-GEN MATH® ALGEBRA I
One of the most basic concepts in algebra is that of an algebraic term.

ALGEBRAIC TERMS
An algebraic term (or just a term) is a combination of numbers and variables using only multiplication,
division, and exponents. Terms are separated in expressions by addition and subtraction.

Exercise #1: For each expression below, state the number of terms it has and name it as a monomial (one term),
binomial (two terms) or trinomial (three terms).
x
(a) 5 x  3 y (b) 7x 2 (c) 4 x 2   8 (d) x 2  y 2
2

We often want to recognize when two terms are known as like terms.

LIKE TERMS
Like terms are algebraic terms that contain the same variables raised to the same exponents. The terms
and are an example of like terms. The terms and are not because the variables have
different exponents.

Exercise #2: For each pair of terms shown below, state whether they are like terms or not.
x7
2
(a) 7 y and 2x 2
(b) and 2x 7 (c) x 2 and x (d) 8x 3 y 2 and 4 y 2 x3
3

Like terms are important because we often need to combine them when simplifying an expression or solving an
equation. You have done this previously by combining the coefficients of all like terms.

Exercise #3: Simplify each expression below by combining like terms. Some of your answers will be monomials.

(a) 10 x  3 x (b) 9 y  7 y (c) 8 x 2  3x 2

(d) 6 x  3 y  x  8 y (e) 4 x 2  5 x  6 x 2  2 x (f) 12 x  7 y  3z  2 y  z  8 x

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We can combine like terms due to the distributive property. We need to think of the property in a way that you
are less familiar with. We use this form when we “factor out” the gcf of an expression.

THE DISTRIBUTIVE PROPERTY (IN REVERSE)

If a, b, and c all represent real numbers then:

Exercise #4: For each binomial expression below, write it as a product of the terms’ gcf and another binomial.
In (c), the gcf will be a variable instead of a constant.
(a) 6 x  12 y (b) 8n  4 (c) 5 x  3 x

It is the last of these examples that shows why when we combine like terms we simply need to add (or subtract)
their coefficients (the numbers multiplying the variables).

Exercise #5: Combine each set of like terms by first using the distributive property to factor out the portion of
each like term containing a variable. Show your work.

(a) 8 x  5 x  7 x (b) 2n  8n  5m  8m (c) 2 x 2  11x 2

1 3 1
(d) x x x (e) 8.2n  6.1n  3.4n (f) 7 x 2  5 x  4 x 2  8 x
2 4 3

We can even use this technique when it is not possible to actually add or subtract the coefficients of a term. These
types of problems arise in algebra and force us to really understand how we combine like terms.

Exercise #6: For each expression below where x is the variable, combine the like terms and leave in terms of the
unknown constants, a, b, and c. Show your work.

(a) ax  2 x (b) 7 x  bx  2 x (c) ax  bx  cx

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Name: ____________________________________ Date: __________________
LIKE TERMS
N-GEN MATH® ALGEBRA I HOMEWORK

FLUENCY
1. For each expression below, state the number of terms it has.

3x
(a) 6 x  3 (b) 10xy 4 (c) x 2  3x  8 (d)
y

2. Which expression below is a binomial?

(1) x 2  9 (3) 4x 2

(2) 7x 3 y 2 (4) 3x  2 y  8 z

3. Which expression below is a like term to the monomial 5x 3 y 2 ?

(1) 2x 3 z 2 (3) 5xy

1 3 2
(2) x y (4) 8x 2 y 3
2

4. If the expression 40 x  24 was written as an equivalent product of its greatest common factor and another
binomial, which of the following would be the binomial?

(1) 4 x  8 (3) 8 x  4

(2) 10 x  6 (4) 5 x  3

5. For each expression below, combine the like terms by factoring out the variable. The first is done as an
example of the work that should be shown.

(a) 12 x  5 x  3 x (b) 3n  9n  8n (c) 25t  12t  14t

Answer:

 x 12  5  3

 x 10 

 10 x
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6. As in problem 5, combine the like terms in each case below by factoring out the variable. Show your work.
Leave fractional answers as fractions and decimals as decimals.
7 5 1
(a) 8.6 x  4.2 x  2.9 x (b)  n  n  n (c) 3.75c  1.2c  2.91c
3 6 2

7. For each expression below, combine the like terms and leave the coefficients of the variable x in terms of
the unknown constants a, b, and c.

(a) 3ax  2 x (b) ax  2bx (c) 2bx  cx  5 x

8. The expression  r 2  8r 2 could be written equivalently as which of the following?

(1) 8 r 4 (3)   8  r 2

(2) 8  r 2    (4) 8 r 2

APPLICATIONS

9. In simple investing, the amount you invest is called your principal, normally represented by the variable P.
The rate, r, of the investment is the percent you earn, in decimal form. So, if your investment earns 8% then
the value of r would be 0.08 . The amount the investment is worth after one year is given by the expression:

P  P r

(a) How much would an investment be worth after (b) The formula above can be written as the product
one year if its principal was $500 and its percent of the variable P and a binomial involving the
rate was 8%? variable r. What would the binomial be?

(c) If an investment was made with a principal of $800 and a rate of 12%, what number could you multiply
$800 by to find the investment’s worth after one year? Justify.

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