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Name Understanding
3-7

Like terms are terms that have the same variable. In the expression
3x - 2y + 5x, 3x and 5x are like terms.
To simplify an algebraic expression means to use properties of operations
to write an equivalent expression with no like terms and no parentheses.
To simplify the expression 5x + 2 + 3x - 1, combine the like terms 5x and
3x and then the numbers.
5x + 2 + 3x - 1
= 5x + 3x + 2 - 1 ← Commutative Property of Addition.
= (5 + 3)x + 2 - 1 ← Distributive Property.
= 8x + 2 - 1 ← Add.
= 8x + 1 ← Subtract.

1. Fill in the blanks to simplify the expression 3m2 + 3 + m2. Write the
property or operation used for each step.
3m2 + 3 + m2

= 3m2 + m2 + ← .

= 3m2 + m2 + ← Identity Property of Multiplication.

=( + )m2 + ← .

= + ← .

2. Simplify each expression.

6n + 3 + 2n

9q - 9 - q

2p + 34p + 6 - p - 312

2.25(14.3m + 6 + 2.7m)

On the Back!
3. Combine like terms to write an equivalent expression for
2x + x + x.

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