Problem 80

Question

What are like terms? Provide an example with your description.

Step-by-Step Solution

Verified
Answer
Like terms in mathematics are those terms that have the same variables and powers. Their coefficients can differ. For example, 4x^2 and -5x^2 in the expression 4x^2 + 3y - 5x^2 +7 are like terms.
1Step 1: Definition of Like Terms
In mathematics, particularly in algebra, 'like terms' are terms that have the exact same variables and powers. The coefficients of the terms can be different. For instance, in an expression, 5x and 3x are like terms because they both have 'x' as the variable without any exponent.
2Step 2: Providing an Example
A good example could be the following algebraic expression: 4x^2 + 3y - 5x^2 +7. In this expression, 4x^2 and -5x^2 are like terms because they both contain the variable x with the same power, which is 2. The terms 3y and 7 are not like terms with any other terms, as they don't share the same variable or power with other terms.