Let’s explore simplifying expressions!

1. What is Simplifying?

   – Simplifying is like tidying up your math by combining and organizing similar things.

   – It’s like putting together building block pieces to make a cleaner and simpler structure.

2. Combining Like Terms:

   – In an expression, look for terms that have the same letters and exponents.

   – For example, in 3x + 2x, the terms 3x and 2x are alike, so you can add them to get 5x.

3. Dealing with Numbers:

   – Combine numbers that are next to each other, like 4 + 2, which is 6.

   – If you have 2y – 7y, you can subtract to get -5y.

4. The Distributive Property:

   – If there’s a number outside parentheses, distribute it to each term inside.

   – For 2(3x + 1), multiply 2 by both 3x and 1 to get 6x + 2.

Example:

   – Expression: 4a + 2b – 3a + 7b

   – Combine like terms: 4a – 3a gives 1a or ‘a’, and 2b + 7b gives 9b.

   – The simplified expression is a + 9b.

Think of simplifying expressions like organizing your backpack. You wouldn’t want to carry around extra copies of the same book, right? Combining like terms in expressions is like making sure you only have one copy of each book in your backpack, making it lighter and more organized.

Keep practicing, and soon you’ll be an expert at making your math look clean and neat!