Simplify: 5x + 8y - 3x + 9y

When you first come across algebra, it may be a bit tricky to get your head around as it involves more abstract concepts than we may have previously seen in maths. However, once you understand the basic principles, which are actually pretty easy, algebra can be used in so many ways and is very applicable to real life situations. Algebra involves the use of letters to represent or theorize about unknown values which can later be substituted for numbers to work out quite complicated sums. But, as long as we remember our rules of BODMAS, we should be ok.This is a basic example of an algebraic expression that needs simplifying by collecting all the similar terms together. It may be helpful at first to think about the letters as concrete things. So, say the x was a way of talking about apples, and the y bananas. Here we can separate out the equation to have:5x – 3x or 5 apples – 3 apples. We’re left with 2x or 1 apple8y + 9y or 8 bananas + 9 bananas. We’re left with 17y or 17 bananasSo putting the equation back together, we have: 2x + 17y And it’s really that simple!