Collecting like terms means to simplify terms in expressions in which the variables are the same. In the expression \(5a + 2b + 3a - 6b\), the terms \(5a\) and \(+ 3a\) are like terms, as are \(2b\) ...

Algebraic expressions can be simplified by collecting like terms. Positive like terms are often written before the negative like terms. When grouping the like terms together, the order does not matter ...