Which term could be combined with 6y in the expression 2y + 9 + 6y?

• A. 9
• B. 2y
• C. 6y
• D. None of these

Answer: (B)

To understand why 2y is the correct choice for combining with 6y in the expression 2y + 9 + 6y, we first need to identify what "like terms" are. Like terms are those that have the same variable raised to the same power. In this case, both 2y and 6y contain the variable y raised to the first power.

When combining like terms, you simply add or subtract the coefficients (the numerical parts) of those terms while keeping the variable part the same. Here, the coefficients are 2 and 6.

So, if you combine 2y and 6y, you would add the coefficients:

2 + 6 = 8. Thus, when combined, they form the term 8y.

On the other hand, the term 9 does not contain the variable y, making it a constant rather than a term that can be combined with 6y. The same holds true for 6y itself; you do not combine a term with itself in this context, as that leads to duplicating the term rather than simplifying. Therefore, only 2y can be combined with 6y.

As a result, combining like terms allows