
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
: 3 watermelons and 10 xylophones. The same logic applies to algebraic variables.
Because `Correct Answer:
3w + 10x
Explanation:
The image displays the algebraic expression 3w + 10x. The correct answer, when asked to simplify this expression, is the expression itself:3wand10xare unlike terms, they cannot be combined into a single, simpler term.3w + 10x. This is because the expression is already in its simplest form and the terms within it cannot be Therefore, the expression3w + 10x` is already in its most simplified form. The final answer is the expression combined.
In algebra, simplification through addition and subtraction is governed by the concept of “like terms.” An expression is composed of terms, which are the parts separated by addition or subtraction signs. In this case, the two terms are 3w and itself.10x. For terms to be considered “like,” they must have the exact same variables raised to the exact same powers. For example, 7w and 2w are like terms because they both contain the variable w to the first power, and they could be added to get 9w.
However, the terms 3w and 10x are “unlike terms.” This is because their variable parts are different; one term contains the variable w, while the other contains the variable x. A fundamental rule in algebra is that you cannot add or subtract unlike terms.
