Answer/Discussion on Simplifying Algebraic Expressions

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Beginning Algebra
Answer/Discussion to Practice Problems
on Simplifying Algebraic Expressions

Answer/Discussion to 1a

Are there any like terms that we can combine?

It looks like it. All three terms have the same variable part, c.

*Combine the coefficients of the like terms

Answer/Discussion to 2a

Let's first apply the distributive property (found in Tutorial 8: Properties of Real Numbers), then regroup and combine like terms:

*Dist. 2 to EVERY term of the ( )

*Combine like terms

Answer/Discussion to 2b

Regrouping and combining like terms we get:

*Combine like terms

Answer/Discussion to 3a

The sum of 9 times a number and 5, subtracted from 4 times a number.

x is representing the unknown number. The sum of 9 times a number and 5 can be written as 9x + 5. From there we need to subtract that from 4x.

Writing this as an algebraic expression we get:

Using the distributive property (found in Tutorial 8: Properties of Real Numbers) and then combining like terms we get:

*Dist. the - to EVERY term of the ( )
*Combine like terms

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