Question

Combine like terms: (-7a^2 + 7a - 2) + (8a^2 - 2a - 3)? Please leave an explanation with your answer! c:

Answer 1

\[-7a^2 + 7a - 2 + 8a^2-2a -3\] The first thing I did was took everything out of the parentheses *just imagine there is a 1 before each parentheses* Now what polynomials have the same endings? If you think -7a^2 and 8a^2, 7a and -2a, and -2 and -3 then your correct. Now we have just to add them together! -7a^2 + 8a^2 = a^2. 7a - 2a = 5a. -2 - 3 = -5. So the final answer is: a^2 + 5a - 5

Answer 2

Thanks! I wasn't sure if I had chosen the right answer, but it was! Thank you so much for the explanation, I probably wouldn't have understood it otherwise. ;u;