Question

Combine the like terms to create an equivalent expression: -4q - (-8q) + 10

Answer 1

Like terms are terms that have the same variable and power/exponent.

-4q - (-8q) + 10   (two negative signs cancel each other out and become positive)

-4q + 8q + 10     The only like terms you can combine are -4q and 8q, because they have the same variable of q and an exponent of 1.

4q + 10        (this is as far as you can simplify)

Answer 2

Remove the parentheses and change the sign = -4q + 8q + 10

Combine like terms and you get 4q + 10

If you factor it you’d get 2(2q + 5)