What are like terms?

What are like terms?

• A. Terms that have the same variable and exponent
• B. Terms that have different variables
• C. Terms that are constants only
• D. Terms with different numerical coefficients but same variable

Answer: (A)

Like terms are terms that have the same variable raised to the same power, and only the coefficients can differ. This is why 3x^2 and -7x^2 are like terms and can be combined. If the exponent or the variable differs, they aren’t like terms—for example, 4x^2 and 5x aren’t like terms because the exponents are different, and x and y aren’t like terms because the variables are different. Constants fit into the idea that terms with no variable can pair with other constants, but the defining rule to combine terms is that the variable and its exponent match. So the correct description is that like terms share the same variable and the same exponent.

Like terms are terms that have the same variable raised to the same power, and only the coefficients can differ. This is why 3x^2 and -7x^2 are like terms and can be combined. If the exponent or the variable differs, they aren’t like terms—for example, 4x^2 and 5x aren’t like terms because the exponents are different, and x and y aren’t like terms because the variables are different. Constants fit into the idea that terms with no variable can pair with other constants, but the defining rule to combine terms is that the variable and its exponent match. So the correct description is that like terms share the same variable and the same exponent.