ADDING LIKE TERMS

The rule for subtraction

WHEN NUMBERS ARE ADDED OR SUBTRACTED, we call

them terms. (Lesson 1.) Like terms look exactly
alike, except perhaps for a numerical factor,
which is called the coefficient of the term.
Here is a sum of like terms:
4x 5x + x
Each term has the same literal factor, x; only the
coefficients are different. The coefficient of x in the first
term is 4. The coefficient in
the second term is 5. We include the minus sign.
See Naming terms in Lesson 3. And in the last term, the
coefficient of x is understood to be 1. For, x = 1x. (Lesson
6.)
Here, on the other hand, is a sum of unlike terms:
x 2xy + y
What number is the coefficient of x?
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1
What number is the coefficient of xy? 2
What number is the coefficient of y? 1
Actually, the coefficient of any factor is all the remaining
factors. Thus in the term 4ab, the coefficient of a is 4b; the
coefficient of 4a is b; and so on. In this term -x(x 1) -- the coefficient of (x 1) is x.

Adding like terms

In this sum --

2x + 3y + 4x 5y
-- the like terms are 2x and 4x, 3y and 5y.
What do we do with like terms? We add, or combine,
them:
2x + 3y + 4x 5y = 6x 2y.
That is, we add (Lesson 3) their coefficients.
The order of the terms does not matter.
Problem 1 . 6x 4y z
a) What number is the coefficient of x ? 6
b) What number is the coefficient of y ? 4
c) What number is the coefficient of z ? 1. z =
(1)z. Lesson 6.
Problem 2. What number is the coefficient of x?
a)
b)

x
.
2

1
.
2

3x
4

Compare Lesson 5, Problem 7b.

3
.
4

3x
4

3
x
4

Lesson 4.

Problem 3. How do we add like terms?

Add their coefficients; make that sum the
coefficient of the common factor.
Problem 4. Add like terms.
a) 6x + 2x

= 8x

b) 6x 2x = 4x

c) 5x + x

= 6x

d) 5x x = 4x

e) 4x + 5x = x

f) 4x 5x = x

It is the style in algebra not to write the coefficients 1

or 1.

g) 5x 3x

=
8x

h) x x = 2x

i) 3x 4 + 2x + 6 = x + 2
j) x 2 4x 5 = 3x 7
k) 4x + y 2x + y = 2x + 2y
l) 3x y 8x + 2y = 5x + y
m) 4x 5x + x = 0
Problem 5. Add like terms.
a) 2a + 3b These are not like terms. The literals are
different.
b) 2a + 3b + 4a 5ab = 6a + 3b 5ab.
Terms that you cannot combine, simply rewrite.
Problem 6.

Remove parentheses and add like terms.

a) (2a 3b + c) + (5a
2a 3b + c + 5a
=
6b + c)
6b + c
= 7a 9b + 2c
b)

(a + 2b + 4c 3d) (3a 8b 2c + d)
= a + 2b + 4c 3d 3a + 8b + 2c d
= 2a + 10b + 6c 4d

c)

(4x 3y) + (3y 5x) + (5z 4x)

= 4x 3y + 3y 5x + 5z 4x

= 5x + 5z
d)

(5xy 3x + 2y 1) (2xy 7x 8y + 6)

= 5xy 3x + 2y 1 2xy + 7x + 8y 6

= 3xy + 4x + 10y 7
e) (x y) (y + xy x) (2x 4xy 2y)

= x y y xy + x 2x + 4xy + 2y

= 3xy
f) (4x 7x 3) (x 4x + 1)
= 4x 7x 3 x + 4x 1
= 3x 3x 4
g) (6x3 + 4x 2x 6) (2x3 8x + x 2)
= 6x3 + 4x 2x 6 2x3 + 8x x + 2
= 4x3 + 12x 3x 4

h) (x + x + 1) + (2x + 2x + 2) (x x 1)

= x + x + 1 + 2x + 2x + 2 x + x + 1

= 2x + 4x + 4
Problem 7. 5abc + 2cba. Are these like terms?
Yes. The order of factors does not matter.
Upon adding those like terms, we get 7abc.
When writing the final answer, it is conventional
to preserve the alphabetical order.
Problem 8. Add like terms.
a) 4xy 9yx =
b) 8x 5xy 4x + 4yx =
5xy
4x xy
c) 9xyz + 3yzx + 5zxy = 17xyz
d) 3xy 4xyz + 3x 8yx + 5yzx 9x = 5xy + xyz
6x
Problem 9. Add like terms.
a) 2n + 2 n = n + 2
b) n 2 3n + 1 = 2n 1
c) 2n + 4 2n 2 = 2
The rule for subtraction

"Subtract a from b." Is that a b or b a ?

It is b a. a is the number being subtracted. It is
called thesubtrahend. The subtrahend appears to the right
of the minus sign -- before the word "from."
Example. Subtract 2x 3 from 5x 4
Solution. 2x 3 is the subtrahend.

(5x 4) (2x 3)

= 5x 4 2x + 3
= 3x 1.

Notice: The signs of the subtrahend change.

2x 3 changes to 2x + 3.
We can therefore state the following rule for
subtraction.

Change the signs of all the terms in the

subtrahend.
Then add the like terms.
Problem 10. Subtract 4a 2b from a + 3b.
Change the signs of the subtrahend,
and add:
a + 3b 4a + 2b = 3a + 5b.
Problem 11. Subtract x 5x + 7 from 3x 8x 2.
3x 8x 2 x + 5x 7
=

2x 3x 9.