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91Ó°ÊÓ

Perform the indicated operations. \((5+9 x)+(-4-8 x)\)

Short Answer

Expert verified
1 + x

Step by step solution

01

Identify Like Terms

Separate the constants and the variable terms from both expressions. The expression contains constants 5 and -4, and variable terms 9x and -8x.
02

Combine Like Terms

Add the constants and the variable terms separately. Combine the constants: 5 + (-4) = 1. Combine the variable terms: 9x + (-8x) = x.
03

Write the Final Expression

Combine the results from the previous step to form the simplified expression: 1 + x.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Combining Like Terms
Combining like terms is a fundamental concept when working with polynomials. Like terms are terms that have the same variable raised to the same power. For example, in the expression (5 + 9x) + (-4 - 8x), the like terms are:
  • The constants: 5 and -4
  • The variable terms: 9x and -8x
To combine these like terms:
1. Add the constants together: 5 + (-4) = 1
2. Add the variable terms together: 9x + (-8x) = x
It’s essential to remember that you can only combine terms that have identical variables and exponents. So, 2x and 3x² are not like terms and cannot be directly combined.
Polynomial Simplification
Polynomial simplification often involves combining like terms, as seen previously. This step-by-step process reduces an expression to its simplest form, making it easier to work with. To illustrate:
1. Start with the given polynomial expression: (5 + 9x) + (-4 - 8x)
2. Identify and group like terms, as we did: constants (5 and -4) and variable terms (9x and -8x).
3. Combine the grouped terms:
  • Constants: 5 + (-4) = 1
  • Variable terms: 9x + (-8x) = x
4. Assemble these simplified terms to form the final expression: 1 + x
Simplifying polynomials makes further operations, such as addition, subtraction, or even polynomial division, more straightforward to perform.
Variable Terms
Variable terms are parts of the polynomial that include a variable (like x) combined with a coefficient (a number in front of the variable). For example, in 9x, 9 is the coefficient and x is the variable. Understanding variable terms involves recognizing a few key points:
  • Variable terms can be similar or different. Similar variable terms must have the same variable and exponent, like 2x and 3x.
  • When combining variable terms, you only combine their coefficients and keep the variable part the same.
In our example (5 + 9x) + (-4 - 8x), the variable terms are 9x and -8x. To simplify, we add the coefficients of these like terms: 9 + (-8) = 1, resulting in x. Effective handling of variable terms is crucial for polynomial operations and further algebraic problem-solving.

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