document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=7676>Question 7676</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> How do you simplify expressions? Example 8x - 4y + 3x </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #4232 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=glabow><B>glabow(165)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-09.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=glabow><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=4232\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Simplifying means doing as much of the arithmetic as possible.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "in 8x - 4y + 3x you can't do the subtraction of 8x - 4y since x's and y's are different. But look at 8x + 3x. You can factor x to get x(8+3) which is x(11). We normally write this as 11x. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "So 11x - 4y is a simple as this express can get. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "One of the best equations to know for simplification is<BR>\n" );
document.write( "a (b + c) = ab + ac [this is the distributive rule]<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Do you see how it was used with 8x + 3x?  </SPAN>\n" );
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