What is the result of combining the expression 7x + 5 - 2x - 3?

• A. 5x + 2
• B. 9x + 2
• C. 5x + 8
• D. 7x + 3

Answer: (A)

To combine the expression 7x + 5 - 2x - 3, the first step is to identify and group the like terms. The like terms in this expression are those that have the same variable or are constants.

Start with the terms that contain the variable x:

• You have 7x from the first part of the expression, and you subtract 2x from the second part. When you combine these terms, you perform the calculation 7x - 2x, which simplifies to 5x.

Next, focus on the constant terms:

• You have 5 from the first part and -3 from the second part. Combining these constants, 5 - 3 gives you 2.

Putting it all together, the combined expression becomes 5x + 2.

This shows why the result of combining the expression is 5x + 2, making this the correct answer.