Getting Started with Finding Like Terms Worksheet

This is part of a collection of math worksheets on the topic of combining like terms in an expression. Learning how to identify the different variables in word problems can be an important step toward solving equations and finding like terms. First, read the word problem and try to identify each variable represented. Then, write down your expressions including each variable you’ve identified. This will help you visualize what needs to be solved, making it easier to find like terms in each equation.

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The next section provides background information on combining like terms.

Combining Like Terms

When you first learned to count and sort, one activity was to combine similar objects. For example, take a look at this collection of coins.

 This is what it looks like when you sort the coins by type.

 This same idea can be applied to algebraic expressions. Take a look at this expression. Do you see that there are two types of terms?

 Mark similar terms in the same way, to make it easier to find.

 Combine like terms, as shown below. The terms in parentheses can be combined to find the simplified expression. 

 You can use this technique to solve certain types of equations, as shown below.

Note: The download is a PDF file.

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