Like Terms Definition
In Mathematics, Like Terms are the terms with the same base and exponent. In simple words, all those terms that have the same variable and power are called like terms. For example, 2x and 5x are like terms because they have the same variable “x” and power is “1” in both terms.
Note:
Read about the Term here in detail.
Table of Contents
Condition to fulfill for being like terms
- Bases must be same.
- Power must be same.
What is the opposite of like terms?
In Mathematics, there are other terms too that are called, Unlike Terms. These terms can either have different bases or different powers. For example, 3x and 5y are Unlike Terms because they have different variables or bases.
Note:
You can read about Unlike Terms here.
Operations on Like Terms
- Addition: While adding, the coefficients of like terms will be added only. For example, if we add 2x with 5x, the resultant will be 7x which comes out by adding coefficients only.
- Subtraction: We can also subtract the smaller like term from the bigger like term. For example, if we subtract 2x from 5x, the resultant will be 3x which comes out by subtracting 2 from 5.
- Multiplication: In multiplication, we have to multiply the coefficients of like terms and add the power. For example, the multiplication of 2x by 5x gives an output of 〖10x〗^2.
Fun Facts about Like Terms
- Only the coefficient can vary in like terms.
- Like terms can never have different bases and powers.
- Like terms can be added and subtracted easily.
- •In Algebra, like terms are used widely for the solution of different problems.
FAQ's
What do you mean by like terms?
All those terms that have the same base and power are called like terms.
Can like terms have different powers?
No, like terms can never have different bases or different powers.
Are 2x and 2y like terms?
No, 2x and 2y are unlike terms because they have different bases.
How to identify if terms are like or unlike?
If the given terms have the same variable or powers, they are called like terms otherwise those terms are called, unlike terms.
Why these terms are called like terms?
In English, like means same. As these terms have the same variables and powers, that’s why these are called like terms.
