What is the coefficient of x in the expression 5x - 2x + x?

• A. 4
• B. 1
• C. 2
• D. 3

Answer: (A)

To determine the coefficient of ( x ) in the expression ( 5x - 2x + x ), we need to combine the like terms. Start with the terms that contain ( x ):

1. The first term is ( 5x ).

2. The second term is ( -2x ), which can be thought of as subtracting ( 2x ).

3. The third term is ( x ), which is equivalent to ( 1x ).

Now, we combine these coefficients:

• Start with ( 5 ) (from ( 5x )).

• Subtract ( 2 ) (from ( -2x )): ( 5 - 2 = 3 ).

• Finally, add ( 1 ) (from ( x )): ( 3 + 1 = 4 ).

Therefore, when we add all these up, we find that the total coefficient of ( x ) in the expression is ( 4 ). This makes the answer correct, as it identifies the total contribution of all ( x ) terms in the initial expression. Thus, the coefficient of ( x ) is indeed ( 4 ).