In Exercises 33–44, add or subtract terms whenever possible. 8√5+11√5

Key Concepts

Like Terms

Like terms are terms that have the same variable raised to the same power, or in the case of radical expressions, they have the same radicand. For example, in the expression 8√5 and 11√5, both terms contain the square root of 5, making them like terms. This allows us to combine them by adding or subtracting their coefficients.

Combining Like Terms

Combining like terms is a fundamental algebraic process that simplifies expressions by adding or subtracting the coefficients of like terms. In the example 8√5 + 11√5, we can combine the coefficients 8 and 11 to get 19√5. This process is essential for simplifying expressions and solving equations efficiently.

Radical Expressions

Radical expressions involve roots, such as square roots, cube roots, etc. They can be simplified by identifying and combining like terms, as seen in the expression 8√5 + 11√5. Understanding how to manipulate radical expressions is crucial for performing operations like addition and subtraction in algebra.