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Simplifying terms

This page was translated from German with AI. It has not been checked by a native speaker. Original page in German

2 apples and 4 apples are 6 apples. But you cannot add apples and pears. It is the same with terms: you only combine like terms (gleichartige Glieder).
📄 Open worksheet (PDF, German)

The video

In the video we sort cards: x cards to x cards, numbers to numbers.

Subtitles are available in ten languages. Choose them at the bottom right of the video.

Contents of the video

  1. 0:00 Introduction
  2. 0:20 Like terms
  3. 0:42 Combining
  4. 1:27 With minus
  5. 1:49 Careful, mistake!
  6. 2:20 Try it yourself

The most important points

Like terms

Parts with the same variable are like terms: \(2x\) and \(4x\). Numbers without a variable are like terms too: \(3\) and \(1\). So: \(2x + 3 + 4x + 1 = 6x + 4\).

2x and 4x are like terms, and so are 3 and 1.
\(2x\) and \(4x\) are like terms, and so are \(3\) and \(1\).

With two variables: \(3x + 2y + x + 4y = 4x + 6y\). Remember: \(x\) is the same as \(1x\).

x with x, y with y.
x with x, y with y.

With minus

The sign belongs to the part behind it: \(5x - 2x + 7 - 3 = 3x + 4\).

The minus moves with its card.
The minus moves with its card.

The worksheet

Here you can see the worksheet for the video (in German). First it explains everything again, then there are practice tasks at three levels. You can also open it as a PDF and print it.

📄 Open worksheet (PDF, German)

The worksheet – Page 1
Page 1/3
The worksheet – Page 2
Page 2/3
Show the worksheet solutions
The worksheet – Page 3
Page 3/3

Try it yourself

Task

Simplify: a) \(4a + 3 + 2a\) b) \(6x - x + 2 - 5\)

Show solution

a) \(6a + 3\) b) \(5x - 3\)

Keep learning with a language model

Du bist meine Mathe-Lehrkraft. Ich lerne Deutsch als Zweitsprache. Unser Thema: Terme vereinfachen (gleichartige Glieder zusammenfassen, auch mit Minus). Stelle mir nacheinander fünf kurze Aufgaben. Warte immer auf meine Antwort. Sag mir dann, ob sie richtig ist, und erkläre kurz, warum. Benutze einfache deutsche Sätze.

How this was made: The idea, structure and examples of the series are mine. I made them with the help of AI: a language model (LLM) built the slides of the video following my instructions. The voice was generated with Qwen3-TTS, modelled on my own voice.

The subtitles, the translations, the worksheet and this page were also made with the help of AI. The translations have not been checked by native speakers.

The videos, worksheets, texts and prompts in this series are licensed under CC BY 4.0: you may use, change and share them if you name the source.