Question

7b^2 + 9b + 2b^2 + 8

How do I solve this??

Answer 1

add 7b^2 and 2b^2

Answer 2

9b^4?

Answer 3

No.

You have 7 * b^2 and you also have 2 * b^2

How many "b^2"s is that?

Answer 4

$$7b^2 + 9b + 2b^2 + 8$$

Answer 5

thats 2 b^2's

Answer 6

$$7b*b + 9b + 2b*b + 8$$

Answer 7

NO!!!

"b^2" is a quantity

You have 7 of this quantity and you also have 2 of this quantity. How many of these quantities do you have if you add them together?

Answer 8

$$7b^2 + 9b + 2b^2 + 8$$
$$= 7b^2 + 2b^2 +9b+ 8$$

Answer 9

$$(7+2)b^2 +9b+8$$

Answer 10

Ah I see now, what if it were 2^2 + 3^2? Would it be 5^2?

Answer 11

$$2^2=2*2$$ $$3^2=3*3$$

Answer 12

No. Exponents don't work that way.

Look. "b^2" is a quantity like "X"

How many Xs do you have if you add 7 Xs and 2 Xs together?

Answer 13

$$2^2 + 3^2 =?= 5^2$$
$$2*2+3*3 =?= 5*5$$
$$4 + 9 =?= 25$$
$$13 \neq 15$$

Answer 14

How much is 7x + 2x?

Answer 15

9x

Answer 16

Exactly!

So then how much is 7b^2 + 2b^2?

Answer 17

9b^2

Answer 18

Correct!!! :-)

Now rewrite your formula using these combined terms.