document.write( "Question 218179: please help me simplify 5x + 7y - 3x + 2y \n" ); document.write( "
| Algebra.Com's Answer #164330 by Theo(13342)     You can put this solution on YOUR website! Your expression is: \n" ); document.write( "5x + 7y - 3x + 2y \n" ); document.write( "You simplify this by combining like terms. \n" ); document.write( "Combining like terms means to perform the indicated operation on them. \n" ); document.write( "5x and -3x are like terms. \n" ); document.write( "The indicated operation is addition \n" ); document.write( "5x + (-3x) = 5x - 3x = 2x \n" ); document.write( "----- \n" ); document.write( "7y and 2y are like terms. \n" ); document.write( "The indicated operation is addition. \n" ); document.write( "7y + 2y = 9y \n" ); document.write( "Your simplified expression is 2x + 9y after you combined like terms. \n" ); document.write( "----- \n" ); document.write( "To confirm that you did this correctly, pick any values for x and y and replace them in the original equation and the combined equation to see if you get the same answer. \n" ); document.write( "----- \n" ); document.write( "take x = 2, y = 3 \n" ); document.write( "----- \n" ); document.write( "Your original equation of 5x + 7y - 3x + 2y becomes 5*2 + 7*3 - 3*2 + 2*3 \n" ); document.write( "This becomes 10 + 21 - 6 + 6 which becomes 31 \n" ); document.write( "----- \n" ); document.write( "Your combined equation of 2x + 9y becomes 2*2 + 9*3 = 4 + 27 = 31 \n" ); document.write( "----- \n" ); document.write( "You get the same answer so you simplified the original expression accurately. \n" ); document.write( "----- \n" ); document.write( "Your original equation is 5x + 7y - 3x + 2y \n" ); document.write( "Your simplified equation is 2x + 9y \n" ); document.write( "----- \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " |