Question

Determine the number of terms and identify the coefficient of each term of the expression.

1. -9x
2.3h-8a
3.2a-3s-z

Answer 1

1. There is one term and the coefficient is -9
2. There are two terms and the coefficient of h is 3, the coefficient of a is-8
3. There are three terms and the coefficients are: 2 for a, -3 for s and -1 for z.

Do you see what's going on?

Answer 2

Wow is it really that easy? Lol I really suck at math can u help me with some others try and understand?

Answer 3

Sure. Become a fan ;p

Answer 4

How do you do that i have to sign up?

Answer 5

There should be a blue link next to my name. It says, "Become a fan."

Answer 6

If you don't see it, refresh your screen.

brb

Answer 7

add like terms if possible and write the result with the exponents in descending order.

-4m^7-2m^7... I got -2m^7 is that right?

Answer 8

Are you supposed to add -4m^7 and -2m^7?

Answer 9

because if that's the case, you have\[-4m^7+-2m^7=-6m^7\]

Answer 10

I have no clue I typed it just as it asked lol. I thought that since ooo wait your right because 4 and 2 arnt like terms. ok so -6^7
ok so the next one is -7y^8 - 4y^7=?

Answer 11

So woiuld it be

Answer 12

would*.... 3y^1 ???

Answer 13

or since there are no like terms would it be -4y^7 - 7y^8 since thats descending orded

Answer 14

Like terms are terms that have the same letter. So 7x and -4x would be like terms because they both share 'x'.

7x and 4y are not like terms because x and y are different.

When they ask you to sum like terms, they're asking you to do something like the following:

3x -7y +2x -y = (3x+2x) + (-7y+-y) = 5x -8y

Answer 15

Can you type out the question?

Answer 16

Add like terms, if possible, and write the result with the exponents in descending order.
1... -7y^8 - 4y^7 = .. so I figured it would be -4y^7 - -7y^8 seeing how I cant add the terms

Answer 17

Nearly. Though, I'm glad you saw that you couldn't add the terms. The question asked for exponents in descending order, so you'd have to rearrange your answer as

-7y^8-4y^7

which looks, to me, like what they gave you in the question anyway, by coincidence.

Answer 18

o i had it backwards. ok. so here is another problem with the same question....
-3m^6+8m^5-4m^4+5m^6-2m^5 .... = 2m^6+6m^5-4m^4 ??

Answer 19

lol, what happened to your m^5 term? What's 8 + 5?

Answer 20

13... but since its -2m^5 wouldnt it be 8m^5-2m^5 to = 6m^5?

Answer 21

Oh I'm sorry, I stuffed it. It's hard deciphering. You're absolutely right. You have the hang of it :)

Answer 22

lol ok.. and i know it would make it easier if the powers actually worked on here so the numbers would be above,.
So it says...
Perform the indicated operation.
1. (-2 + 3n^7 - 8n^5) + (9n^7 + 6n^5 - 5).. i havent worked on this one yet so let me try it then tell me if i did anything wrong

Answer 23

Okay. I'm glad you're trying them out before asking.

Answer 24

Yea I have to get this down. I am not the type of person to just get answers because then it takes me no where in life

Answer 25

The person typin is my lil sis rejanae

Answer 26

\[(-2+3n^7-8n^5) + (9n^7 + 6n^5 - 5)\]

Answer 27

lol told you it works

Answer 28

You have an excellent attitude Monae.

Answer 29

You'll go far.

Answer 30

\[3+12n^7-2n^5 or is it 3+12n^14-2n^10 /]

Answer 31

its suppose to be ^14 and ^10

Answer 32

\[3+12n^7-2n^5\]

Answer 33

or \[3+12n^14-2n^10\]

Answer 34

okay, hang on, just need to check something.

Answer 35

Lol ok. and Thank You

Answer 36

It's\[12n^7-2n^5-7\]

Answer 37

The 7 is actually\[7n^0\]I don't know if you've ever seen something like that. Whenever you raise a number to the power of 0, the result is 1. So when we order from highest to lowest powers, the constant goes on the end because the power of n is the lowest...0.

Answer 38

These don't have to be in descending order for the exponents so the only thing i got wrong woul,d be the 3.

Answer 39

Yeah, I really think you've got the hang of it. From here on, it's just practice.

Answer 40

Yea the \[7^0\] is in chapter 5.6 lol i hvnt gotten there yet. im stil stuck on this lol

Answer 41

So do I still have to write it descending like you did or is my answer right and I just have to replace the 3 with a 7

Answer 42

If they don't ask for it, TECHNICALLY it's correct. BUT mathematicians, as a matter of course, always write the polynomial in descending order BECAUSE it makes our lives easier in the end when we're trying to calculate things.

I suspect it would be easier for your teachers too.

Answer 43

Only problem is that my proffesor doesn't check to see if you have the right answers he only checks to see if you have something written down and that you tried the problem. I think its very idiotic to have that seeing how we won't learn if we did the homework right or not.

Answer 44

Yeah, I agree.

Answer 45

That's not a very good way of teaching.

Answer 46

But you're attitude is what will save you. You sorted this out in several minutes.

Answer 47

Thank You soo much. I understand it now.. But trust I will be back on later for your help with those 7^0 and other problems like that.. will you be on tomorrow around the same time or friday anytime after 3?

Answer 48

Maybe...you can always try. You might get an e-mail from my response here. If you click on 'view answer' or the link, it will take you back to this post. You can ask more questions here as a means of getting my attention, or you can ask others if you can't wait, by using the 'As a question...' box.