# Subtraction of Like Algebraic Terms

A mathematical operation of subtracting two like algebraic terms is called the subtraction of like algebraic terms.

## Introduction

In algebra, two like algebraic terms are connected by a minus sign to find the difference between them mathematically. In fact, the like algebraic terms have a common literal coefficient and it is taken common from both the terms to perform the subtraction successfully.

$2x^2y$ and $5x^2y$ are two two like algebraic terms. Take, $2x^2y$ is subtracted from $5x^2y$ and the subtraction can be done in three simple steps.

#### First step

Write $5x^2y$ first and then $2x^2y$ in a row but display a minus sign between them to represent the subtraction.
$5x^2y-2x^2y$

#### Second step

Take the literal coefficient common from both the terms.
$\implies$ $5x^2y-2x^2y$ $\,=\,$ ${(5-2)}x^2y$

#### Third step

Now, find the subtraction of the numbers and multiply the difference by their common literal coefficient.
$\,\,\, \therefore \,\,\,\,\,\,$ $5x^2y-2x^2y$ $\,=\,$ $3x^2y$

It can be observed that the difference of any two like algebraic terms is also a like algebraic term. In this way, the subtraction of any two like algebraic terms can be performed in algebra in three simple steps.

### Examples

For better understanding the subtraction of algebraic terms, obverse the following examples.

$(1)\,\,\,\,\,\,$ $7a-5a$ $\,=\,$ $(7-5)a$ $\,=\,$ $2a$

$(2)\,\,\,\,\,\,$ $2bc-10bc$ $\,=\,$ $(2-10)bc$ $\,=\,$ $-8bc$

$(3)\,\,\,\,\,\,$ $3c^2-2c^2$ $\,=\,$ $(3-2)c^2$ $\,=\,$ $c^2$

$(4)\,\,\,\,\,\,$ $17d^3e^2f-23d^3e^2f$ $\,=\,$ $(17-23)d^3e^2f$ $\,=\,$ $-6d^3e^2f$

$(5)\,\,\,\,\,\,$ $5ghi-ghi$ $\,=\,$ $(5-1)ghi$ $\,=\,$ $4ghi$

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