Collecting like terms means to simplify terms in expressions in which the variables are the same. In the expression \(5a + 2b + 3a - 6b\), the terms \(5a\) and \(+ 3a\) are like terms, as are \(2b ...

Algebraic terms can be multiplied together and one algebraic term can be divided by another. Two or more terms may be multiplied or divided to give a single simplified term.