Can you combine 5y-30

Answer 1

No. You can only combine like kinds. 5y is a variable, 30 is a constant

you could factor out a 5 to get

5(y-6) which is similar to "combining" 5y and -30 if you think of the 5 as a like kind in both terms

then "combine" or add the y to the -6

very similar to treating 5 as the "apples" where you have y apples and -6 apples so "combining" them gives you (y-6) apples. here "apples" = 5's which is the like kind that can be combined