Final answer:
To match an expression with its simplified form, terms should be eliminated to simplify the algebra, then the results need to be checked for reasonableness. This includes combining like terms and factoring out common factors.
Step-by-step explanation:
The task of matching an expression with its simplified form involves the process of simplifying algebraic expressions. The goal here is to eliminate terms whenever possible to make the expression more manageable. Once this is done, it's important to check the answers to ensure they are reasonable.
In mathematics, simplification can often involve combining like terms, reducing fractions to their smallest terms, or factoring. For instance, to simplify the equation 2x + 3x, we would add the like terms to get 5x. Similarly, 2(x+4) + 3(x+4) can be simplified by factoring out the common factor (x+4), yielding 5(x+4).
When checking the answer, we ensure that the operations were performed correctly and that no terms have been missed or incorrectly simplified. This involves re-evaluating the original expression with the simplified form to confirm its accuracy.