1. Combining Like Terms

2. S.W.B.A.T
Combine like terms and solve algebraic expressions

3. Combining like terms
A process used to simplify an expression or an equation using addition and subtraction of the coefficients of terms.
Consider the expression below
5 + 7
By adding 5 and 7, you can easily find the expression is equivalent to 12

4. What does combining like terms do?
Algebraic expressions can be simplified by combining like terms
Consider the algebraic expression below
12x x
12x and 5x are like terms. Therefore the coefficients, 12 and 5 can be added.
17x + 7

5. What are like terms?
The following are like terms because each term consists of a single variable, x, and a numeric coefficient
2x, 45x, x, -26x, -x
Each of the following like terms because they are all constants
15, -2, 27, 9043

6. Examples of unlike terms
The following two terms both have a single variable with an exponent of 1, but the terms are not alike since different variables are used.
17x, 17z

7. Examples of unlike terms
Each y variable in the terms below has a different exponent, therefore these are unlike terms

8. Examples of unlike terms
Although both terms below have an x variable, only one terms has the y variable, thus these are not like terms either
19x, 14xy

9. Combining like terms Consider the expression below
Identify sets of like terms
2 and 7 are both constants
The terms are like terms because they consist of an x squared

10. The coefficients of the first set are constants themselves, 2 and 7
The coefficients of the first set are constants themselves, 2 and 7. When added the result is 9
The coefficients of the second set of like terms are 5, -2, and 1. Therefore, when added the result is 4

11. With the like terms combined, the expression becomes