M6|L20 Combining Like Terms (Part 1)Sign out

Question

Write an equivalent expression with the fewest possible terms.
Write an equivalent expression without any remaining like terms.
6a+4+4b−5a+10b−8
=

Answer 1

To combine like terms in the expression \( 6a + 4 + 4b - 5a + 10b - 8 \), we first group the like terms (terms with \( a \), \( b \), and the constant terms):

1. Combine the \( a \) terms: \[ 6a - 5a = 1a \quad \text{or just } a \]

2. Combine the \( b \) terms: \[ 4b + 10b = 14b \]

3. Combine the constant terms: \[ 4 - 8 = -4 \]

Now, we can express the entire expression with the combined terms: \[ a + 14b - 4 \]

Thus, the equivalent expression with the fewest possible terms is: \[ \boxed{a + 14b - 4} \]