# How do you simplify 8x-6+x-1?

May 26, 2016

It is 9x-7.

#### Explanation:

The rule is that the numbers goes with numbers and the letters goes with the letters. So first of all you can reorder them as
$8 x + x - 6 - 1$. The part with the numbers is easy (only watch out the sign) so you have $8 x + x - 7$. For the letter you have simply to add the numbers in front of the letters. In one case you have the number $8$ (for $8 x$) in the other case it seems you have nothing, but when you have nothing in reality it is like having 1 (for $x$).
So it is $8 x + 1 x - 7 = 9 x - 7$.

May 26, 2016

9x - 7

#### Explanation:

Simplify by $\textcolor{b l u e}{\text{collecting like terms}}$

$\textcolor{b l u e}{\text{like terms"" are terms which have the same variable (letter) in them}}$

Example: 6x and 4x are like terms as they both have an x in them.

To collect them (simplify) we add/subtract their $\textcolor{red}{\text{coefficients}}$ the numbers in front of them.

so 6x + 4x = 10x and 6x - 4x = 2x

Note that 4x and $2 {x}^{2}$ are NOT like terms

as ${x}^{2} \text{ means } x \times x$ which is not the same as just x itself.

Using this on the question.

8x - 6 + x - 1 = 8x + x - 6 -1 = 9x - 7

Note the coefficient of x is 1, that is x = 1x