Question

can you add variables and numbers with the same exponents

Answer 1

What determines whether you can add two numbers together that deal with variables is if the variables are the same, then the exponents.

For example: 2x^2 and 5x^2 . Yes you can add them together to get 7x^2
Another example: 2x^2 and 5x^3, You can't add them together
Same with 2x^2 and 5y^2. Two different variables. Can't add together.

Answer 2

I mean just the variables
Ex:c^3 + c^5

Answer 3

No you cannot do that.

Answer 4

is it the same with numbers?

Answer 5

What do you mean by is it the same with numbers? any examples?

Answer 6

c represents any number, so if we say c=3, does the rule still hold?

Answer 7

No, because now you can solve it... so 3 to the third is 27 and 3 to the fifth is 243 so you can add them together and get 270... so it only applies when you have variables

Answer 8

the rule still holds regardless of if you can solve it or not

Answer 9

c^3 + c^5 cannot be combined

just becasue we know a value for c does not change the rules, it just means we can solve it in a different manner

Answer 10

well yes that's what i meant to say.... but i just meant that you can simplify it further once you know c