Purplemath. You've already learned the basic trig graphs. But just as you could make the basic quadratic, y = x2, more complicated, such as y = − (x + 5)2 − 3, so also trig graphs can be made more complicated. We can transform and translate trig functions, just like you transformed and translated other functions in algebra.Purplemath What is a circle? A circle is a geometrical shape. It is defined as having a center, and being the set of all points that are a certain fixed distance from that center. (The fixed distance is called the radius of the circle.) The circle is not of much use in algebra since the equation of a circle isn't a function. 2. 1. 0. The first row above (labelled "digits") contains the digits from the binary number; the second row (labelled "numbering") contains the power of 2 (the base) corresponding to each digit. I will use this listing to convert each digit to the power of two that it represents: 1×2 8 + 0×2 7 + 1×2 6 + 1×2 5 + 0×2 4 + 0×2 3 + 1×2 2 + 0 ... Purplemath. A ratio is one thing or value compared with or related to another thing or value; it is just a statement or an expression, and can only perhaps be simplified or reduced. On the other hand, a proportion is two ratios which have been set equal to each other; a proportion is an equation that can be solved. Purplemath. In the previous two pages, we've looked at solving one-step linear equations; that is, equations that require one addition or subtraction, or that require one multiplication or division. However, most linear equations require more than one step in order to find their solution. What steps then should be used, and in what order? Pre-algebra and algebra lessons, from negative numbers through pre-calculus. Grouped by level of study. Lessons are practical in nature informal in tone, and contain many worked examples and warnings about problem areas and probable "trick" questions. Purplemath What are exponents (in math)? Exponents, also called powers or orders, are shorthand for repeated multiplication of the same thing by itself. For instance, the shorthand for multiplying three copies of the number 5 is shown on the right-hand side of the "equals" sign in (5)(5)(5) = 5 3. Evaluate 6!. A factorial is just a product. To "evaluate" a factorial is simply to multiply it out. In this case, they're wanting me to "take the factorial of" 6. This means that I need to multiply all the whole numbers from 1 through 6, inclusive. My work is pretty simple: 1×2×3×4×5×6 = 720. This value is all they're looking for, so my ... Here are some suggestions to help you prepare for the ALEKS math test. Start with an ALEKS math practice test. Create a plan to master the topics you need to learn. Follow a daily routine of ALEKS math test prep. Evaluate your learning. Get ALEKS math help with any difficult concepts. Trust your ability to achieve a good score. Introduction to Algebra. Algebra is great fun - you get to solve puzzles! A Puzzle. What is the missing number? The Algebra 1 course, often taught in the 9th grade, covers Linear equations, inequalities, functions, and graphs; Systems of equations and inequalities; Extension of the concept of a function; Exponential models; and Quadratic equations, functions, and graphs. Khan Academy's Algebra 1 course is built to deliver a comprehensive, illuminating, engaging, …Find the mean, median, mode, and range for the following list of values: 1, 2, 4, 7. The mean is the usual average: (1 + 2 + 4 + 7) ÷ 4 = 14 ÷ 4 = 3.5. The median is the middle number. In this example, the numbers are already listed in numerical order, so I don't have to rewrite the list. But there is no "middle" number, because there are …Find the mean, median, mode, and range for the following list of values: 1, 2, 4, 7. The mean is the usual average: (1 + 2 + 4 + 7) ÷ 4 = 14 ÷ 4 = 3.5. The median is the middle number. In this example, the numbers are already listed in numerical order, so I don't have to rewrite the list. But there is no "middle" number, because there are …Purplemath. You've already learned the basic trig graphs. But just as you could make the basic quadratic, y = x2, more complicated, such as y = − (x + 5)2 − 3, so also trig graphs can be made more complicated. We can transform and translate trig functions, just like you transformed and translated other functions in algebra.The natural log is the base- e log, where e is the natural exponential, being a number that is approximately equal to 2.71828. The natural log has its own notation, being denoted as ln (x) and usually pronounced as "ell-enn-of- x ". (Note: That's "ell-enn", not "one-enn" or "eye-enn".) Just as the number π arises naturally in geometry, …Purplemath. Venn diagram word problems generally give you two or three classifications and a bunch of numbers. You then have to use the given information to populate the diagram and figure out the remaining information. For instance: Out of forty students, 14 are taking English Composition and 29 are taking Chemistry. Compound (or compounded) interest is interest that is earned on interest. If you invest $300 in a compound-interest fund for two years at 10% interest annually, you will earn $30 for the first year, but then you will earn 10% of $330 (or $33) for the second year, for a total of $63 in interest. Content Continues Below. Purplemath. The next level of this type of log equation may require a calculator to solve. You'll still find the solution using algebra, but they'll be wanting a decimal approximation for non-"nice" values, which will require "technology". An example would be: Solve ln(x) = 3, giving your answer accurate to three decimal places.Sitejabber has helped over 200M buyers make better purchasing decisions online. Suspicious reviews are flagged by our algorithms, moderators, and community members. …The Algebra 1 course, often taught in the 9th grade, covers Linear equations, inequalities, functions, and graphs; Systems of equations and inequalities; Extension of the concept of a function; Exponential models; and Quadratic equations, functions, and graphs. Khan Academy's Algebra 1 course is built to deliver a comprehensive, illuminating, engaging, …Learn how to find real-number solutions and factors of polynomials using synthetic division, rational roots test, and quadratic formula. See detailed steps and graphs for each …For graphing, the angle's initial side is the positive x-axis; its terminal side is the green line, because angles are drawn going anti-clockwise.The curved green line shows the given angle. Even before having drawing the angle, I'd have known that the angle is in the first quadrant because 30° is between 0° and 90°.The …Free math problem solver answers your algebra homework questions with step-by-step explanations.Free math problem solver answers your algebra homework questions with step-by-step explanations.Purplemath. The graph of a parabola will not pass the Horizontal Line Test; there are loads of horizontal lines that will cross the graph twice. So the inverse of a parabola's quadratic function will not itself be a function. However, sometimes a non-invertible function can be converted into an invertible one by restricting the domain.Purplemath What is engineering notation? Engineering notation is similar to scientific notation, in that numbers are converted to (a number) times (10 raised to some power). But the powers in engineering notation will always be multiples of 3.. Because the powers are always multiples of three, the resulting numbers … The Distance Formula is a variant of the Pythagorean Theorem that you used back in geometry. The Pythagorean Theorem allows you to relate the three sides of a right triangle; in particular, it allows you to find the length of the third side of a right triangle, given the lengths of the other two sides. The Distance Formula takes two points and ... Purplemath. A ratio is one thing or value compared with or related to another thing or value; it is just a statement or an expression, and can only perhaps be simplified or reduced. On the other hand, a proportion is two ratios which have been set equal to each other; a proportion is an equation that can be solved. Purplemath. The Distance Formula is a variant of the Pythagorean Theorem that you used back in geometry. The Pythagorean Theorem allows you to relate the three sides of a right triangle; in particular, it allows you to find the length of the third side of a right triangle, given the lengths of the other two sides.Purplemath. The next level of this type of log equation may require a calculator to solve. You'll still find the solution using algebra, but they'll be wanting a decimal approximation for non-"nice" values, which will require "technology". An example would be: Solve ln(x) = 3, giving your answer accurate to three decimal places.To be able to be combined, the terms' variable portions must contain the exact same variable (s) with the exact same power (s). Once you have determined that two terms are indeed "like" terms and can indeed therefore be combined, you can then deal with the terms in a manner similar to what you did in grammar school.Purplemath. At first, trigonometric ratios, such as sine and cosine, related only to the ratios of side-lengths of right triangles.Then you learned how to find ratios for any angle, using all four quadrants.Then you learned about the unit circle, in which the value of the hypotenuse was always r = 1 so that sin(θ) = y and cos(θ) = x.. In other words, you progressed from …In the above example, the degree on the denominator (namely, 2) was bigger than the degree on the numerator (namely, 1), and the horizontal asymptote was y = 0 (that is, it was the x-axis).This property is always true: If the degree on x in the denominator is larger than the degree on x in the numerator, then the …Purplemath. The next level of this type of log equation may require a calculator to solve. You'll still find the solution using algebra, but they'll be wanting a decimal approximation for non-"nice" values, which will require "technology". An example would be: Solve ln(x) = 3, giving your answer accurate to three decimal places.Purplemath. Graphing exponential functions is similar to the graphing you have done before. However, by the nature of exponential functions, their points tend either to be very close to one fixed value or else to be too large to be conveniently graphed. In fact, there will generally be only a few points that are reasonable to use for … The Purplemath lessons have been written so that they may be studied in whatever manner the student finds most useful. Different textbooks cover different topics in different orders. The Purplemath lessons try not to assume any fixed ordering of topics, so that any student, regardless of the textbook being, may benefit. The Algebra 1 course, often taught in the 9th grade, covers Linear equations, inequalities, functions, and graphs; Systems of equations and inequalities; Extension of the concept of a function; Exponential models; and Quadratic equations, functions, and graphs. Khan Academy's Algebra 1 course is built to deliver a comprehensive, illuminating, engaging, and Common Core aligned experience! Purplemath. A ratio is one thing or value compared with or related to another thing or value; it is just a statement or an expression, and can only perhaps be simplified or reduced. On the other hand, a proportion is two ratios which have been set equal to each other; a proportion is an equation that can be solved. So my solution checks, and my answer is: \boldsymbol {\color {purple} { x = \frac {50} {3} }} x = 350. You can use the Mathway widget below to practice solving a linear equation by multiplying or dividing. Try the entered exercise, or type in your own exercise. Then click the button to compare your answer to Mathway's.Lessons and Tutoring - Reviews. The reviews below refer to free (or free-to-try) off-site tutoring and instructional resources. To access the Purplemath lessons and tutoring forums, please use the links to the right. For paid in-home tutoring, please try here. algebra.help: This site has lessons on basic algebra topics and techniques, … Free math problem solver answers your algebra homework questions with step-by-step explanations. Since the first differences are the same, this means that the rule is a linear polynomial, something of the form y = an + b. I will plug in the first couple of values from the sequence, and solve for the coefficients of the polynomial: 1 a + b = 5. 2 a + b = 7. This system solves as: So the formula is y = 2n + 3.Purplemath What are exponents (in math)? Exponents, also called powers or orders, are shorthand for repeated multiplication of the same thing by itself. For instance, the shorthand for multiplying three copies of the number 5 is shown on the right-hand side of the "equals" sign in (5)(5)(5) = 5 3.Free math problem solver answers your algebra homework questions with step-by-step explanations.Purplemath. In the previous two pages, we've looked at solving one-step linear equations; that is, equations that require one addition or subtraction, or that require one multiplication or division. However, most linear equations require more than one step in order to find their solution. What steps then should be used, and in what order? Compound (or compounded) interest is interest that is earned on interest. If you invest $300 in a compound-interest fund for two years at 10% interest annually, you will earn $30 for the first year, but then you will earn 10% of $330 (or $33) for the second year, for a total of $63 in interest. Content Continues Below. So x = 1 is one of the zeroes. Trying x = −1, I get: 1 − 9 + 11 + 22 − 9 + 11 + 21 = 48. Okay; so that one isn't a zero. But, to reduce my polynomial by the one factor corresponding to this zero, I'll do my first synthetic division: So my reduced polynomial is equation is: x5 + 10 x4 + 21 x3 − x2 − 10 x − 21 = 0. Spend time reading and practice your writing skills. Make use of a TSI math practice test to defeat any word problem anxiety. Improve your tactics for good test taking. Study until you feel certain of your abilities. Improve your TSI math score with online test prep classes from PurpleMath and MathHelp. To factor a quadratic (that is, to factor a trinomial of the form ax2 + bx + c) where the leading coefficient a is not equal to 1, follow these steps: Multiply the leading coefficient a and the constant term c to get the product ac. Find factors of ac that add up to the coefficient of the constant term b. Use these factors of ac to split the ...Purplemath. The next level of this type of log equation may require a calculator to solve. You'll still find the solution using algebra, but they'll be wanting a decimal approximation for non-"nice" values, which will require "technology". An example would be: Solve ln(x) = 3, giving your answer accurate to three decimal places.Purplemath. The following examples provide some practice with stem-and-leaf plots, as well as explaining some details of formatting, and showing how to create a "key" for your plot. Subjects in a psychological study were timed while completing a certain task. Complete a stem-and-leaf plot for the following list of times:The first solution is 45° more than a multiple of 180°, so (180n)° + 45° should do. The second solution is 30° more than a multiple of 180° and (because of the "plus / minus") also 30° less than that same multiple, so (180n)° ± 30° will cover this part. x = (180n)° ± 30°, (180n)° + 45° for all integers n.In an intuitive sense, the Midpoint Formula takes the coordinates of the two given points, and finds the averages of the x - and y -values. Think about it this way: If you are given two numbers, you can find the number exactly midway between them by averaging them; that is, by adding them together and dividing their sum by 2.The Algebra 1 course, often taught in the 9th grade, covers Linear equations, inequalities, functions, and graphs; Systems of equations and inequalities; Extension of the concept of a function; Exponential models; and Quadratic equations, functions, and graphs. Khan Academy's Algebra 1 course is built to deliver a comprehensive, illuminating, engaging, …Purplemath. Another "typical" work problem is the "one guy did part of the job" or "the number of workers changed at some point during the job" type. We'll still need to do the computations for how much each guy does per unit time (usually hours or days), but we may need to use the fact that "a completed task" is represented by " …Purplemath. The next level of this type of log equation may require a calculator to solve. You'll still find the solution using algebra, but they'll be wanting a decimal approximation for non-"nice" values, which will require "technology". An example would be: Solve ln(x) = 3, giving your answer accurate to three decimal places.For the three-sevenths fraction, the denominator needed a factor of 5, so I multiplied by \frac {5} {5} 55, which is just 1. We can use this same technique to rationalize radical denominators. I could take a 3 out of the denominator of my radical fraction if I had two factors of 3 inside the radical. Purplemath. When you're graphing (or looking at a graph of) polynomials, it can help to already have an idea of what basic polynomial shapes look like. One of the aspects of this is "end behavior", and it's pretty easy. We'll look at some graphs, to find similarities and differences. First, let's look at some polynomials of even degree ... For graphing, the angle's initial side is the positive x-axis; its terminal side is the green line, because angles are drawn going anti-clockwise.The curved green line shows the given angle. Even before having drawing the angle, I'd have known that the angle is in the first quadrant because 30° is between 0° and 90°.The …Purplemath. Venn diagram word problems generally give you two or three classifications and a bunch of numbers. You then have to use the given information to populate the diagram and figure out the remaining information. For instance: Out of forty students, 14 are taking English Composition and 29 are taking Chemistry.Spend time reading and practice your writing skills. Make use of a TSI math practice test to defeat any word problem anxiety. Improve your tactics for good test taking. Study until you feel certain of your abilities. Improve your TSI math score with online test prep classes from PurpleMath and MathHelp.Share your videos with friends, family, and the worldPurplemath. Back when you first studied square roots and how to solve radical equations, you were probably introduced to something called "the Pythagorean Theorem". This Theorem relates the lengths of the three sides of any right triangle. This Theorem existed way before Pythagorus and his followers, the …Purplemath. Solve the following equation: The rational expressions in this equation have variables in the denominators. So my first step is to check for which x-values are not allowed, because they'd cause division by zero. Setting each denominator equal to zero and solving, I get:The first solution is 45° more than a multiple of 180°, so (180n)° + 45° should do. The second solution is 30° more than a multiple of 180° and (because of the "plus / minus") also 30° less than that same multiple, so (180n)° ± 30° will cover this part. x = (180n)° ± 30°, (180n)° + 45° for all integers n.Purplemath. A ratio is one thing or value compared with or related to another thing or value; it is just a statement or an expression, and can only perhaps be simplified or reduced. On the other hand, a proportion is two ratios which have been set equal to each other; a proportion is an equation that can be solved.Purplemath. When you work with angles in all four quadrants, the trig ratios for those angles are computed in terms of the values of x, y, and r, where r is the radius of the circle that corresponds to the hypotenuse of the right triangle for your angle. In the drawing below, the angle ends in the second quadrant, as indicated by the …You can solve this "space" problem by using negative numbers. The "whole" numbers start at zero and count off to the right; these are the positive integers. The negative integers start at zero and count off to the left: Note the arrowhead on the far right end of the number line above. That arrow tells you the direction in which the …Purplemath. On the previous page, we examined how the sine and cosine ratios for right triangles can be expanded, via the unit circle, to being full-fledged graphable functions. The next trigonometric ratio we'll consider is the tangent ratio. But the tangent's values are difficult to display on the unit circle. The Purplemath algebra lessons are available in offline form for home use! This allows you to, for instance, review the lessons on your laptop while you ride the bus, or let your grandkids "surf" the site without having to provide them with a "live" Internet connection. The "Purplemath CD" contains the entire Purplemath web site, modified for ... Purplemath What are the four quadrants? The Cartesian plane has an horizontal and a vertical axis; these two axes divide the plane into four sections. These sections are called "quadrants", and are labelled with Roman numerals (not Arabic numerals), starting at the positive x-axis and going around anti-clockwise.Compound (or compounded) interest is interest that is earned on interest. If you invest $300 in a compound-interest fund for two years at 10% interest annually, you will earn $30 for the first year, but then you will earn 10% of $330 (or $33) for the second year, for a total of $63 in interest. Content Continues Below.You should know the formula for the circumference C and area A of a circle, given the radius r: Acir = π r2. Ccir = 2π r. (" π " is the number approximated by 3.14159 or the fraction 22/7) Remember that the radius of a circle is the distance from the center to the outside of a circle. In other words, the radius is just halfway across. So x = 1 is one of the zeroes. Trying x = −1, I get: 1 − 9 + 11 + 22 − 9 + 11 + 21 = 48. Okay; so that one isn't a zero. But, to reduce my polynomial by the one factor corresponding to this zero, I'll do my first synthetic division: So my reduced polynomial is equation is: x5 + 10 x4 + 21 x3 − x2 − 10 x − 21 = 0. Classify the following equations according to the type of conic each represents: A) 3 x2 + 3 y2 − 6 x + 9 y − 14 = 0. B) 6 x2 + 12 x − y + 15 = 0. C) x2 + 2 y2 + 4 x + 2 y − 27 = 0. D) x2 − y2 + 3 x − 2 y − 43 = 0. A) Both variables are squared, and both squared terms are multiplied by the same number, so this is a circle. Free math problem solver answers your algebra homework questions with step-by-step explanations. The Binomial Theorem is a quick way (okay, it's a less slow way) of expanding (that is, of multiplying out) a binomial expression that has been raised to some (generally inconveniently large) power. For instance, the expression (3x − 2) is a binomial, 10 is a rather large exponent, and (3x − 2)10 would be very painful to multiply out by hand.ALGEBRA 1 MATH.COM. ALGEBRA 1 ONLINE PRACTICE QUIZZES. ALGEBRA 1 PEARSON. ALGEBRA 1 PRENTICE HALL. ALGEBRA 1 PRENTICE ONLINE. …The two rules for function reflection are these: To reflect the graph of a function h(x) over the x -axis (that is, to flip the graph upside-down), multiply the function by −1 to get −h(x). To reflect the graph of a function h(x) around the y -axis (that is, to mirror the two halves of the graph), multiply the argument of the function by ...Classify the following equations according to the type of conic each represents: A) 3 x2 + 3 y2 − 6 x + 9 y − 14 = 0. B) 6 x2 + 12 x − y + 15 = 0. C) x2 + 2 y2 + 4 x + 2 y − 27 = 0. D) x2 − y2 + 3 x − 2 y − 43 = 0. A) Both variables are squared, and both squared terms are multiplied by the same number, so this is a circle.Simplify the following expression: I'll move the one variable with a negative exponent, cancel off the y 's, and simplify: \dfrac {3 x^ {-2} y} {xy} = \dfrac {3y} {x^2 \cdot xy} xy3x−2y = x2⋅xy3y. Demonstrates how to simplify fractions containing negative exponents. Provides worked examples, showing how the same exercise can be …Since the first differences are the same, this means that the rule is a linear polynomial, something of the form y = an + b. I will plug in the first couple of values from the sequence, and solve for the coefficients of the polynomial: 1 a + b = 5. 2 a + b = 7. This system solves as: So the formula is y = 2n + 3. The solving process works like this: 2 y − 4 x = 3. 2 y = 4 x + 3. y = 2 x + 1.5. Then we can graph as usual. By the way, it's often a good idea to use x -values which are spread out a bit. If the plotted points are too close together, we can end up not being quite sure of the angle of the line we're graphing. Tiger shows you, step by step, how to solve YOUR Quadratic Equations x^2+x-222=0 by Completing the Square, Quadratic formula or, whenever possible, by FactoringTo solve a quadratic inequality, you follow these steps: Get the quadratic on one side of the inequality symbol, so you're left with just zero on the other side. Find the zeroes of the associated quadratic equation (by factoring or applying the Quadratic Formula). Use these zeroes to split the number line into intervals.Purplemath What are the four quadrants? The Cartesian plane has an horizontal and a vertical axis; these two axes divide the plane into four sections. These sections are called "quadrants", and are labelled with Roman numerals (not Arabic numerals), starting at the positive x-axis and going around anti-clockwise.Evaluate 6!. A factorial is just a product. To "evaluate" a factorial is simply to multiply it out. In this case, they're wanting me to "take the factorial of" 6. This means that I need to multiply all the whole numbers from 1 through 6, inclusive. My work is pretty simple: 1×2×3×4×5×6 = 720. This value is all they're looking for, so my ...The general form of a parabola's equation is the quadratic that you're used to: y = ax2 + bx + c. — unless the quadratic is sideways, in which case the equation will look something like this: x = ay2 + by + c. The important difference in the two equations is in which variable is squared: for regular (that is, for vertical) parabolas, the x ...
The Purplemath lessons have been written so that they may be studied in whatever manner the student finds most useful. Different textbooks cover different topics in different orders. The Purplemath lessons try not to assume any fixed ordering of topics, so that any student, regardless of the textbook being, may benefit. . Marine trading post
Purplemath. A "radical" equation is an equation in which at least one variable expression is stuck inside a radical, usually a square root. For most of this lesson, we'll be working with square roots. For instance, this is a radical equation, because the variable is inside the square root: \small { \sqrt {x\,} + 2 = 6 } x +2=6. Purplemath. When you're graphing (or looking at a graph of) polynomials, it can help to already have an idea of what basic polynomial shapes look like. One of the aspects of this is "end behavior", and it's pretty easy. We'll look at some graphs, to find similarities and differences. First, let's look at some polynomials of even degree ... Then the GCF is 2 × 3 × 5 × 7 = 210. On the other hand, the Least Common Multiple, the LCM, is the smallest (that is, the "least") number that both 2940 and 3150 will divide into. That is, it is the smallest number that contains both 2940 and 3150 as factors, the smallest number that is a *multiple* that is common to both these values. Therefore, it will be the …Find the mean, median, mode, and range for the following list of values: 1, 2, 4, 7. The mean is the usual average: (1 + 2 + 4 + 7) ÷ 4 = 14 ÷ 4 = 3.5. The median is the middle number. In this example, the numbers are already listed in numerical order, so I don't have to rewrite the list. But there is no "middle" number, because there are an ...Purplemath. Parallel lines and their slopes are easy. Since slope is a measure of the angle of a line from the horizontal, and since parallel lines must have the same angle, then parallel lines have the same slope — and lines with the same slope are parallel. Perpendicular lines are a bit more complicated. If you visualize a line with ...Purplemath. Graphing exponential functions is similar to the graphing you have done before. However, by the nature of exponential functions, their points tend either to be very close to one fixed value or else to be too large to be conveniently graphed. In fact, there will generally be only a few points that are reasonable to use for …The Purple Comet! Math Meet needs your small voluntary contribution to survive. See complete problem solutions 2003-2012 with the first Purple Comet Book and …The distinction between the two formulas is in the location of that one "minus" sign: For the difference of cubes, the "minus" sign goes in the linear factor, a − b; for the sum of cubes, the "minus" sign goes in the quadratic factor, a2 − ab + b2. Some people use the mnemonic " SOAP " to help keep track of the signs; the letters …Homework Guidelines for Mathematics. Mathematics is a language, and as such it has standards of writing which should be observed. In a writing class, one must respect the …Introduction to Algebra. Algebra is great fun - you get to solve puzzles! A Puzzle. What is the missing number?The take-aways from this page are the following rules for adding and subtracting with negative numbers: If you're adding two negative numbers, then add in the usual way, remembering to put a "minus" sign on the result. Example: −2 + (−3) = −5. If you're adding a positive number and a negative number, subtract the smaller number (that is ...Purplemath. To be honest, solving "by graphing" is a somewhat bogus topic. The basic idea behind solving by graphing is that, since the (real-number) solutions to any equation (quadratic equations included) are the x-intercepts of that equation, we can look at the x-intercepts of the graph to find the solutions to the corresponding …Purplemath. There is one special case for factoring that you may or may not need, depending upon how your book is structured and how your instructor intends to teach factoring quadratics. I call it "factoring in pairs", but your book may refer to it as "factoring by grouping". By whatever name, this technique is sometimes useful, but mostly it ...To be able to be combined, the terms' variable portions must contain the exact same variable (s) with the exact same power (s). Once you have determined that two terms are indeed "like" terms and can indeed therefore be combined, you can then deal with the terms in a manner similar to what you did in grammar school..