Class 7 Like and Unlike Terms — practice questions with answers
Algebra · 5 sample questions from the school syllabus. Try each one, then open the answer and the worked solution.
1. Which of the following is a pair of like terms?
A3x and 3y
B5a and 9a
C2x and 2x²
D4m and 4n
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Answer: B) 5a and 9a
Like terms have the same variable raised to the same power. 5a and 9a both have the variable 'a' to the power 1, so they are like terms.
2. Simplify: 12k - 5k - 4k
A4
B2
C6
D3
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Answer: D) 3
(12 - 5 - 4)k = 3k. The coefficient is 3.
3. If 7x - 3x is simplified, the result is the same as which of these?
Ax + x + x + x
B4x²
Cx - x
D10x
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Answer: A) x + x + x + x
7x - 3x = 4x = x + x + x + x. The other options are not equal to 4x.
4. In a fruit stall in Nashik, x stands for apples and y for oranges. The owner writes the morning sale as 3xy crates of mixed baskets and the evening sale as 5xy crates. A new worker writes the total as 8x²y². What should the correct total be?
A8xy
B8x²y²
C15xy
D8x²y
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Answer: A) 8xy
3xy and 5xy are like terms (same variable part xy). Add coefficients: 3 + 5 = 8, keeping xy. Correct total is 8xy, not 8x²y².
5. In an expression, the m-terms are 8m, -3m and km, and after combining only the m-terms the result is 0m (they cancel out completely). There are also separate n-terms that combine to 6n. If the final simplified expression is just 6n, what is the value of k?
A-6
B-5
C-10
D-4
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Answer: B) -5
The m-terms must sum to 0: 8 + (-3) + k = 0, so 5 + k = 0, giving k = -5. Then only 6n remains.