Question

What conditions must terms satisfy in order to be combined through arithmetic operations?

Accepted Answer

They must be of the same type. Real numbers can only combine with real numbers.    
Variables must be of the same degree (raised to the same exponent) in order to be combined:    
In this equation, $$x^2 + 2x^2 = 3x^2$$, $$x^2 + 2x^3$$ cannot be combined.

Flashcard 6 - Next Generation Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, and Statistics Flashcard Set for the ACCUPLACER Test

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