How do you simplify x+ (x+2)?

2 Answers
Apr 16, 2016

2x + 2

Explanation:

It is important to combine the like terms in expressions such as this x + (x +2).

Like terms have the same variable raised to the same power, such as 2x^4 and -4x^4.

You can combine the like terms (or "add") them to each other. In this case, we have two x's and a 2. The two x's are like terms, as they are the same variable (x) and are raised to the same power (which is 1 although it is not shown).

You can combine the two x's by x + x = 2x. The number 2 does not have any other terms that it can be considered as like terms, therefore we just leave that alone.

Our answer is: 2x + 2

Apr 16, 2016

2x+2

Explanation:

There is an extremely important reason why I do what I am about to do. It helps understanding!

Write as: " "x+1(x+2)

'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the same as: color(blue)(x + 1xx(x+2))
'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Multiply everything inside the brackets by (+1) giving:

x+x+2

So we have 2 of x with the value of 2 added giving

2x+2

color(blue)("~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Explaining the idea ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~")

Suppose the question had been different and we had instead x-(x+2)

Write as x -1(x+2)

Multiply everything inside the bracket by (-1) giving

x-x-2" "->" " 0-2" "->" "2

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