Question

Combine like terms in the expression 2a-3b+5b-a

Answer 1

Answer: a= -2b

Explanation:

Simplifying

2a + -3b + 5b + -1a = 0

Reorder the terms:

2a + -1a + -3b + 5b = 0

Combine like terms: 2a + -1a = 1a

1a + -3b + 5b = 0

Combine like terms: -3b + 5b = 2b

1a + 2b = 0

Solving

1a + 2b = 0

Solving for variable 'a'.

Move all terms containing a to the left, all other terms to the right.

Add '-2b' to each side of the equation.

1a + 2b + -2b = 0 + -2b

Combine like terms: 2b + -2b = 0

1a + 0 = 0 + -2b

1a = 0 + -2b

Remove the zero:

1a = -2b

Divide each side by '1'.

a = -2b

Simplifying

a = -2b

Answer 2

a + 2b

Explanation:

You want to combine like terms in 2a-3b+5b-a.

Like terms

Like terms are terms that have the same variables. All of the 'a' terms are like terms, and all of the 'b' terms are like terms. It can be useful to rearrange the expression so like terms are adjacent to each other.

= 2a -a -3b +5b

= a(2 -1) +b(-3 +5) . . . . . distributive property

= a(1) +b(2) . . . . . . . . . do the addition/subtraction

= a +2b