Term Definition
In Algebra, a polynomial is formed by combining four basic components. These are named Variable, Coefficient, Constant, and Term. In this section, we are going to tell you what is a term in an expression.
Note:
Read about Variables, Constant, and Coefficients here
A term is a single unit of any expression in Algebra. An expression consists of at least one term but can also be made by combining multiple terms. It can either be a number, variable,, or multiplication of a number with a variable.
Table of Contents
Note:
You can read about Expression here.
In simple words, you can say that the part of an expression on which mathematical operations are implemented is called a term.
Parts of a Term
As mentioned above, a Term can be made by combining a variable with a constant in multiplication. The parts of a term are called “Factors” in general.
For example:
5xy is a term while 5, x, and y are called factors of this particular term.
Types of Terms
In Algebra, there are two main types of terms named “Like Terms” and “Unlike Terms”. Let us show you an overview of these terms here.
• The terms with the same base and power are called Like Terms. Such terms can be combined using the concerned mathematical operation like Addition, Subtraction, etc.
Note:
Read about Like Terms here in detail
For example:
5x and 6x are like terms because they have the same base as well as power.
• The terms that have different bases and powers. The only operation that can be implemented on these terms is “Multiplication”. We can neither Add nor Subtract such terms.
Note:
Read about Unlike Terms here.
For example:
5x and 6y are unlike terms because they have different bases.
An expression is also called a Polynomial in Algebra. There are three main types of polynomials depending on the number of terms. Here we are going to show you all of those.
• Monomial:
A polynomial that consists of only one term.
For example:
3x, 5y, and 7z are monomials because they have a single term.
• Binomial:
A polynomial that consists of two terms in an expression.
For example:
3x + 5y, and 7y – 4z, are binomials because they have two terms in a single expression.
• Trinomial:
A polynomial that has three terms in its expression.
For example:
3x + 4y – 9z is a trinomial as it has three terms.
FAQ's
How a term is formed?
A term can be formed by combining variables, constants, and coefficients using basic Mathematical operations.
What are the basic types of polynomials?
A polynomial has three basic types that are called:
• Monomial
• Binomial
• Trinomial
What are the basic types of terms?
There are two types of Terms in Mathematics.
• Like Terms
• Unlike Terms
