What is simplified?

To simplify , you combine the like terms. You have and (since is the same as ). When you add these together, you get , which simplifies to . So, the final simplified expression is .

Now, if you were to visualize this, think of it as having 9 negative apples (that’s the ) and then taking away one more apple (the ). So, you end up with 10 negative apples: !

This is a great way to practice combining like terms, which you’ll encounter frequently in algebra. Just remember that keeping track of the signs is crucial.