Did you ever have a piggy bank? When it was full, perhaps you exchanged your coins for paper money; if you did, you may have put coins in wrappers, like the ones shown here. Notice the different size wrappers? They fit the intended coin perfectly, so that there is no way to put a quarter into a penny wrapper. Coin wrappers are similar to "like terms" in algebra—coins go together when grouping them for wrappers.
In algebraic expressions, like terms are terms that contain the same variables raised to the same power, but the coefficients of like terms can be different. Just like the coins being placed into wrappers, terms need to be grouped together. Adding or subtracting unlike terms is like trying to put a quarter into a penny wrapper—only like terms can be combined.
Based on the definition, can you tell which of the terms below are not like terms? In other words, which one does not belong in the group? Click on the term that you believe is not like the others shown.
Only two expressions shown are like terms.
Click on the expression that does not belong.
3x and 9x are like terms because they have the same variable.
3x and 9x are like terms because they have the same variable.
3x and 9x are like terms because they have the same variable.
Which item does not belong with this set?
5x and 9x are like terms because they have the same variable.
5x and 9x are like terms because they have the same variable.
5x and 9x are like terms because they have the same variable.
Which item does not belong with this set?
3y and 5y are like terms because they have the same variable with the same exponents. All exponents shown are 1, but the variables also have to be identical.
3y and 5y are like terms because they have the same variable with the same exponents. All exponents shown are 1, but the variables also have to be identical.
3y and 5y are like terms because they have the same variable with the same exponents. All exponents shown are 1, but the variables also have to be identical.
Which item does not belong with this set?
5xy and -5xy are like terms because they have the same variables with the same exponents.
5xy and -5xy are like terms because they have the same variables with the same exponents.
5xy and -5xy are like terms because they have the same variables with the same exponents.
Which item does not belong with this set?
3mn and 12mn are like terms because they have the same variables.
3mn and 12mn are like terms because they have the same variables.
3mn and 12mn are like terms because they have the same variables.
Which item does not belong with this set?
14 and 52 are like terms because they are numbers with no variables; you can combine these terms.
14 and 52 are like terms because they are numbers with no variables; you can combine these terms.
14 and 52 are like terms because they are numbers with no variables; you can combine these terms.
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