➕ Algebra 1 · Equations
Combining Like Terms flashcards
Say the answer out loud before you flip. Cards you miss come back sooner; cards you know come back later. That spacing is what builds long-term memory.
All 14 flashcards at a glance
Card 1
What is a term?
One chunk of an expression, separated from the others by plus or minus signs. It keeps the sign in front of it, like the −6k in 9 − 6k.
Card 2
What is a coefficient?
The number multiplied by the variable part of a term. In −6k, the coefficient is −6.
Card 3
What makes two terms like terms?
They have exactly the same variable part: the same letters with the same exponents. The coefficients can differ.
Card 4
What is the coefficient of w by itself? Of −w?
1 and −1. A lone letter has an invisible coefficient of 1.
Card 5
Simplify 8m + 3m.
11m. Add the coefficients, keep the variable part.
Card 6
Simplify 9n − 12n.
−3n, because 9 − 12 = −3.
Card 7
Are 4p and 4p2 like terms?
No. The variable parts p and p2 differ, so they cannot be combined.
Card 8
Are 5km and −2mk like terms? If so, combine them.
Yes. Same letters, each to the first power, and the order of multiplication does not matter. 5km − 2mk = 3km.
Card 9
Simplify 6z + 5 − 2z − 8.
4z − 3. The z-terms give 6 − 2 = 4, and the constants give 5 − 8 = −3.
Card 10
Why is m + m equal to 2m and not m2?
Adding counts how many m’s you have: two of them. m2 means m × m, which is multiplication.
Card 11
What happens to the signs when you remove the parentheses in −(3k − 7)?
Every sign inside flips: −3k + 7.
Card 12
What is a constant term, and which terms are like it?
A term with no variable, such as −8. All constants are like terms with each other.
Card 13
Why can’t 4s + 3t be written as one term?
The variable parts s and t are different, so these are not like terms. The expression is already as simple as it gets.
Card 14
How can you check that you simplified correctly?
Put the same test number into the original and the result. The values should match. Avoid 0, 1 and 2, which can hide mistakes.