Problem

Simplify -2k+6+3k-2-k

The question you have been given is asking you to perform algebraic simplification on a given expression. Specifically, it involves combining like terms, which are terms that have the same variable raised to the same power. In this case, the expression contains terms with the variable 'k'. You are required to simplify the expression by adding and subtracting the coefficients (numerical factors) of these 'k' terms as well as combining any constant numbers present in the expression. The goal is to reduce the expression to its simplest form with as few terms as possible.

$- 2 k + 6 + 3 k - 2 - k$

Answer

Expert–verified

Solution:

Step:1 Combine like terms by adding $-2k$ to $3k$. Resulting in $k + 6 - 2 - k$.

Step:2 Eliminate the similar terms in the expression $k + 6 - 2 - k$.

Step:2.1 Cancel out $k$ with $-k$ to get $0 + 6 - 2$.

Step:2.2 Combine $0$ and $6$ to simplify to $6 - 2$.

Step:3 Deduct $2$ from $6$ to obtain the final result, which is $4$.

Knowledge Notes:

To simplify an algebraic expression, you follow these steps:

  1. Combine like terms: Like terms are terms that contain the same variable raised to the same power. In this case, $-2k$ and $3k$ are like terms, and so are $k$ and $-k$.

  2. Use the distributive property if necessary: The distributive property states that $a(b + c) = ab + ac$. This is not used in this problem, but it's a common step in simplifying expressions.

  3. Cancel out terms: If you have a term and its opposite, they cancel each other out. In this problem, $k$ and $-k$ cancel each other out.

  4. Perform arithmetic operations: Once like terms are combined and opposites are canceled, you perform the remaining arithmetic operations, such as addition and subtraction.

In this problem, the expression $-2k + 6 + 3k - 2 - k$ is simplified by combining like terms and performing arithmetic operations. The terms involving $k$ cancel each other out, leaving a simple arithmetic problem of $6 - 2$, which equals $4$.

link_gpt