Question

Are 12x^2y^3z and -45zy^3x2 like terms? explain why or why not.

Answer 1

Here in the second term I am considering 2 as power of x .

So rewriting both the terms here:

First term: 12x²y³z

Second term: -45zy³x²

Let us now find out whether they are like terms or not.

"Like terms" are terms whose variables (and their exponents such as the 2 in x²) are the same.

In the given two terms let us find exponents of each variable and compare them for both terms.

z : first and second term both have exponent 1

x: first and second term both have exponent 2

y: first and second term both have exponent 3

Since we have all the exponents equal for both first and second terms variables, so we can say that the two terms are like terms.