Algebraic Simplification: Combining Like Terms for Students Practice Test 2026 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

To determine the correct result of combining the like terms 4x + 2x - x, we first need to identify and group the coefficients of the like terms together. Here, we have three terms: 4x, 2x, and -1x (since -x can be rewritten as -1x).

Now, we can calculate the sum of these coefficients:

- Start with the first term, which has a coefficient of 4.

- Next, add the coefficient from the second term, which is 2. So, we have:

4 + 2 = 6.

- Finally, we subtract the coefficient from the last term, which is -1. Hence, we take 6 and subtract 1:

6 - 1 = 5.

Thus, when combining these like terms, we get a total coefficient of 5 for the x term, resulting in the simplified expression of 5x.

This is why the correct answer, which results from accurately combining the like terms, is 5x.