Question

3. Make Sense and Persevere In the equation 0.755s - 5/8= 44, how do you combine the like terms

Answer 1

The equation given is:

`0.755s-(5)/(8)=44`

"Like terms" are terms whose variables are the same. The coefficient (number in front of the variable) can be different. Also, constant (single numbers) are like terms with other constants.

In the equation given,

There is one term with the variable "s" and two "constant terms".

Thus, we combine the two constant terms and leave the "s" term as is because there isn't any other like term to combine it with.

So,

We have:

`\begin{gathered} 0.755s-(5)/(8)=44 \\ 0.755s=44+(5)/(8) \\ 0.755s=44(5)/(8) \end{gathered}`

Note that we added (5/8th) to the right hand side with "44". When we change sides, we change signs.