Question

How do you simplify `-7x^2yz + 3yzx^2 - zx^2y - 4y`?

Answer 1

Combine like terms.

Explanation:

Two terms in an expression or equation are like terms if they share the same common variables. In your expression, for example, the like terms are `-7x^2yz`, `3yzx^2` and `-zx^2y`. Even though there is a difference in the order the variables are listed, the two terms have the same variables, so they are like terms.

Let's solve this by making another expression:

`-7x^2yz+3x^2yz=-4x^2yz-x^2yz=-5x^2yz`

Let's now plug our answer back into our expression to get our answer:

`-5x^2yz-4y`