Question

Are 2xy^2 and 7x^2 y like terms?

Answer 1

Like terms are terms that have the same variables multiplying a constant, or just the constant itself. Some examples are:

`\begin{gathered} 9\text{ and 50} \\ 3x\text{ and }-5x \\ 2.5y^2\text{ and }-(5)/(3)y^2 \\ xy\text{ and }38xy \end{gathered}`

Looking at the terms 2xy² and 7x²y, they don't have the same variables multiplying them (the first term has x one time and y two times, and the second term has x two times and y one time), so they are not like terms.