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 expressions can be expanded ... It may be possible to simplify an expression by collecting like terms together. Like terms are easy to spot - they have the same letter or letters.