Question 8 (Multiple Choice Worth 2 points)

Which terms are considered like terms in the following expression?

three n plus eighteen minus seven n plus three plus five m

three n

three n....negative seven n.....five m

three n............negative seven n

There are no like terms in the expression.

Question

Question 8 (Multiple Choice Worth 2 points)

Which terms are considered like terms in the following expression?

three n plus eighteen minus seven n plus three plus five m 

 three n 

 three n....negative seven n.....five m 

 three n............negative seven n 

 There are no like terms in the expression.

whpalmer4 · Answer

$$3n + 18 - 7n + 3 + 5m$$

which do you think are like terms?

anonymous · Answer

Oops... Umm I don't really know.

whpalmer4 · Answer

come on, do you see any similarities between any of these things?

3n
18
-7n
3
5m
?

whpalmer4 · Answer

If I told you that two of those were like terms, which would you choose?

anonymous · Answer

3!

whpalmer4 · Answer

okay, what's 3 like?

anonymous · Answer

3n

anonymous · Answer

?

whpalmer4 · Answer

well, no.  any other guesses?

anonymous · Answer

I don't know :/ hmmm

whpalmer4 · Answer

3 is a number, all by itself

3n is a number multiplied by a variable

anonymous · Answer

ohhhh

whpalmer4 · Answer

do you see any other numbers, all by themselves

or 

do you see any other numbers multiplied by variables?

anonymous · Answer

18 by itself

whpalmer4 · Answer

okay, yes, 3 and 18 are like terms.  can you find any other like terms?

anonymous · Answer

3n and 5m

whpalmer4 · Answer

close.  they are both numbers multiplied by variables, but they are different variables...

anonymous · Answer

True.... hmm

anonymous · Answer

I don't freakin know im just gone guess -.-

whpalmer4 · Answer

well, which variables do you see in the list?

3n
18
-7n
3
5m

anonymous · Answer

n

whpalmer4 · Answer

and?

anonymous · Answer

m

whpalmer4 · Answer

okay, do either of those variables appear twice?

anonymous · Answer

n does

whpalmer4 · Answer

all right.  maybe that'd be a good candidate for like terms, eh?

anonymous · Answer

Yesssssss

whpalmer4 · Answer

:-)

whpalmer4 · Answer

now look at your answer choices.  which one seems like the best now?

anonymous · Answer

The 3rd one?

whpalmer4 · Answer

what does it say?

anonymous · Answer

three n....negative seven n.....five m

whpalmer4 · Answer

okay, aren't m and n different variables?

anonymous · Answer

Yes... so its maybe the second one..

anonymous · Answer

Oh nevermind,

whpalmer4 · Answer

I don't want to hear "the first one" or "the second one" or whatever — I want to hear what the answer is...

anonymous · Answer

Ok

anonymous · Answer

Question 8 (Multiple Choice Worth 2 points)

Which terms are considered like terms in the following expression?

three n plus eighteen minus seven n plus three plus five m 

 three n 

 three n....negative seven n.....five m 

 three n............negative seven n 

 There are no like terms in the expression

whpalmer4 · Answer

are there any answer choices that have numbers and only one variable?

anonymous · Answer

3n -7 5m?

whpalmer4 · Answer

isn't that "three n ... negative seven n ... five m"?  
$$3n~-7n ~~5m$$

that's two different variables.  we want only one.

anonymous · Answer

Ok, I appreciate all of the help you've givin me but im giving up -.- im just gonna guess... please don't waste your time anymore but thanks so much.

whpalmer4 · Answer

why are you giving up?  you haven't even looked at all of the answers yet.  and trust me, if you give up on this, you're going to have a very unpleasant time ahead of you...

anonymous · Answer

Oh well.... :/ THE ANSWER IS HARD!

whpalmer4 · Answer

no, it's not.  you're going to put a big palm-sized dent in your forehead when you see how easy it is :-)

whpalmer4 · Answer

Here, let me write out the answer choices:

three n plus eighteen minus seven n plus three plus five m 
$$3n~~+18~~-7n~~+3~~+5m$$

 three n 
$$3n$$
 three n....negative seven n.....five m 
$$3n~~-7n~~5m$$
 three n............negative seven n 
$$3n~~-7n$$
 There are no like terms in the expression

anonymous · Answer

.-. I put my answer as the second choice

whpalmer4 · Answer

I'll give you a hint: "There are no like terms in the expression" is not the answer.

Now look at the rest of them.   To have like terms, you have to have more than one, otherwise we wouldn't refer to it as a plural.  That strikes the second choice from consideration.  Now we are left with:

$$3n~~+18~~-7n~~+3~~+5m$$

$$3n~~-7n~~5m$$

$$3n~~-7n$$

whpalmer4 · Answer

Which one of those has items which only look like each other?

whpalmer4 · Answer

Hint: when I say "look like each other" I mean "only one letter from the alphabet appears in each one"

whpalmer4 · Answer

Another hint: if the answer has things that are just numbers, and things that have variables, those are not like terms.