When multiplying like terms (terms with the same base) we’ll multiply the coefficients and add the exponents. When dividing like terms we’ll divide the coefficients and subtract the exponents. “Canceling” is a term often used instead of subtracting the exponents, but it means the same thing.
Read MoreAdding and subtracting like terms is also known as combining like terms. Like terms are variables that have the same letter and same exponent. But like terms can have different coefficients. In other words, think about 3x^4+2x^4 as something like “3 apples + 2 apples,” where “apples” represents the x^4 term. We can simplify polynomials by looking for like terms and combining them together.
Read MoreWhen we want to find the sum or difference of two exponential expressions, they must be “like terms,” meaning that they must have the same base and the same exponent; otherwise, we can’t add or subtract them. Multiplication and division of exponential expressions is a little different. When we multiply and divide, we need only the bases to be the same. We do not need the exponents to be the same.
Read MoreWhen adding and subtracting polynomials, you’re really just looking for like terms to combine. The largest exponent in a polynomial is called the degree of the polynomial. The term with the largest exponent is called the leading term, because the terms of a polynomial are usually written in descending order of their exponents.
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