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 \(2b\) ...
In algebra, letters are used to stand for values that can change (variables) or for values that are not known (unknowns). A term is a number or letter on its own, or numbers and letters multiplied ...