Combining Like Terms

Like terms are terms that have the same variable raised to the same power. You can only combine terms that match.

Here are some examples:

9p − 2p = 7p. Both terms have the variable p, so we just subtract: 9 − 2 = 7.

4x² − 4x cannot be combined. Even though both have x, one is x² and the other is just x. They don't match, so we leave them alone.

−7 + 15 = 8. Both are plain numbers (constants), so we can add them together.