How do you simplify #4a+5a^2+2a^2+a^2#?

2 Answers
Mar 3, 2018

#4a+8a^2#

Explanation:

Terms which are raised to the same power of the unknown can be added together. In this case, we have 3 terms to the power of "2" and one term to the power of "1".

Hence we can add the common terms: #5a^2 + 2a^2 + a^2=8a^2# Then we simply add the remained which we can not add. Hence:

#4a+8a^2#

Mar 3, 2018

That can be simplified into #a(8a+4)# or #8a^2+4a#

Explanation:

Start by adding the like terms together, that is (terms of #a^2#)
#5a^2+2a^2+a^2 = 8a^2#

Now you can rewrite it as #4a + 8a^2#

The key here is that you can always add the like terms..
For example,

#6x^2 + 3x + 4x^2 + 2x + 3y + 3y^2#
Here all the #x^2# terms can be added together, all the #x# terms can be added together, all the #y# terms can be added together and all the #y^2# terms can be added together..

So we get
#10x^2 + 5x + 3y^2 + 3y#

Can be simplified even further by factoring out the #5x# from first 2 terms and #3y# from the next two terms,
#5x(2x+1) + 3y(y+1)#