I need help with my math I don't understand

Question

14x+2y+7x+5y+x=

I don't know how to solve this I'm very bad at math I'm not getting it if someone can explain on how to solve it or help me understand

Answer 1

Hi Alisha V. Thanks for connecting with Wyzant to help with your question. I am here to help and will help you get started. I won't give you the answer but help you understand what you need to do to develop your skills in answering these kinds of problems.

This kinds of problem: 14x + 2y + 7x + 5y + x =

are to help develop skills of association...which means looking at all the items in an equation which one have something in common, grouping them together with the 'like' items and then completing the operation...adding, subtracting, multiplying, and/or division.

There is a simple want of looking at this, it makes the same idea. Here is an equation:

You have a bowl of fruit you want to add up: 3 apples, 5 bananas, 2 apples, and 7 bananas

So let's make that into an equation.(Imagine emogis ) instead of words...like this:

3 apples + 5 bananas + 2 apples + 7 bananas =

It could be something like: 3x + 5y + 2x + 7y =

What we do is rearrange the equation, combining all the things which are alike. Like this:

3 apples + 2apples + 5 bananas + 7 bananas =

or 3x + 2x + 5y + 7y =

Since the apples are alike and the bananas are alike we can add them together. Like this:

5 apples + 12 bananas =

or with the number: 5x + 12y =

Since apple and bananas are different we can't add them together, so the final result is:

5 apples + 12 bananas =

So, in answering these kinds of problems, groups the 'like' terms/expressions together, the x's, the y's, the a's, and any other expression with the ones which are alike. (Remember 'x' and 'x ²' are not the same. Group only the x's,the x²'s, the x³'s, and other exponents with similar exponents.)

Add all the 'like' expressions together. When you add all of the 'like' terms and there is no further action you can take, then that will be your final answer. Here is an example of a final answer.

[ 5x³ ] + [ 7x² ] + [ 9x ] + [ 11y³ ] + [ y² ] + [ 3y ] + [5 ] =

Each of the expressions in the brackets [ ] are all different from one another. Since they are different they can not be added together. This would be the final answer to this equation.

Hope this helps. You can now develop your skills of adding and subtracting 'polynomials', that's what these symbols, expressions are called.

Let me know if you need any further help

J