Question

Select all of the terms that are "like."

a. xy²
b. 2xy
c. x²
d. -xy
e. 2x²y
f. xy

Answer 1

The like terms are 2xy, -xy, and xy, since they contain the same variables with the same exponents and can be combined.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer is option c. x² and option f. xy.

Two terms are considered 'like' if they have the same variables raised to the same powers. In this case, option c. x² and option f. xy both have the variable x, but they have different powers. So they are not 'like' terms and cannot be selected.

On the other hand, option a. xy² has the same variables x and y raised to the same powers (x¹ and y²), so it is a 'like' term. Similarly, option b. 2xy has the same variables x and y raised to the same powers (x¹ and y¹), so it is also a 'like' term. Option d. -xy, option e. 2x²y, and option f. xy do not have the same variables raised to the same powers, so they are not 'like' terms and cannot be selected.