Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Simplifying Algebraic Expressions – Example
- What’s Next?
In the previous segment, we simplified an algebraic expression by grouping terms. In this segment, we will look at another example.
Simplifying algebraic expressions – Example
Q. Simplify 7x – 13y + xy + 3 – 17xy – 2x + 2y – 2. Solution:
Grouping the terms,
7x – 13y + xy + 3 – 17xy – 2x + 2y – 2 = (7x – 2x) + (- 13y + 2y) + (xy – 17xy) + (3 – 2)
= 5x + (-11y) + (-16xy) + 1
= 5x – 11y – 16xy + 1
Though this is the right answer, it is always good practice to leave the expression in the descending order of exponents.
- The exponents of the variables 5x and -11y are 1 each.
- The next term -16xy has two variables, x and y, each of whose exponent 1. So we
can consider this term’s exponent to be 2.
- The last term has no variables. Hence its exponent is zero.
Writing the expression in descending order of exponents,
7x – 13y + xy + 3 – 17xy – 2x + 2y – 2 = – 16xy + 5x – 11y + 1
What’s next?
In the next segment of Class 7 Maths, we will learn how to add two polynomials.
