3 · Like Terms
Simplify expressions by combining terms with the same letter part.
What your child learns
- Like terms share the same letter (3x and 5x)
- Add or subtract the numbers in front
- Collect x terms and number terms separately
Example
4x + 7 + 2x − 3 = 6x + 4.
Mini lesson: Combining Like Terms
Goal: Simplify expressions by adding or subtracting terms that match.
- Add or subtract the numbers in front (the coefficients); the letter part stays the same.
- Collect x terms together and number terms together.
Worked example
Simplify 4x + 7 + 2x − 3.
- Group: (4x + 2x) + (7 − 3)
- Combine: 6x + 4
- Answer: 6x + 4
Common mistakes
- Adding unlike terms: 3x + 2 ≠ 5x.
- Changing the letter part: x + x is 2x, not x².
Practice questions
A taste of the questions in BloomTracks – the app makes fresh ones every time and adjusts the level as your child answers.
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Question 1 · Level 1
Simplify 2x + 5x
Show the answer
Answer: 7x
2 + 5 = 7, so 7x.
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Question 2 · Level 3
Simplify 9x + 1 + 8x − 1
Show the answer
Answer: 17x
17x and 0 → 17x.
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Question 3 · Level 5
Expand and simplify 4(x + 6) − 6x − 3
Show the answer
Answer: −2x+21
−2x + 21
Try it at home
Use fruit: 3 apples + 2 bananas + 1 apple = 4 apples + 2 bananas.
Key takeaway
You can't combine 3x and 3 — they're different kinds of terms.
Practise 3 · like terms with Bloomie
Bloomie reads every question aloud, listens to spoken answers and adapts the difficulty one question at a time.