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Are 5x and 5x^2 like terms? Explain your answerc​

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Answer:

No. 5x and 5x² are not like terms.

When a variable is raised to two different powers, they can not be added together.

Another way to look at it is to note that:

5x + 5x² ≡ 5x(1 + x)

It is more obvious there that 1 and x are not like terms, thus neither are 5x and 5x², though they do have common factors.

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