Can anyone explain how to determine the plus or minus sign when combining like terms? How do you fig…

Add or subtract.

I'm not sure I understand your question. If it was 5x + 3x - 2x, then it would be (5+3-2)x. What's confusing about that? Could you rephrase your question more clearly?

Tatyana K This is a simple example for you, I'm talking about more complex ones with variables and natural numbers, with plus and minus signs. For example, -8-y+17-10y. Here, -8 and 17 are like terms (-8+17), and -y and -10y are like terms (-y-10y). So, what's in the parentheses are the simplified like terms. What's the sign between these two sets of parentheses with the simplified like terms? That's the tricky part – how to determine that sign.

Please see below in the comments

Tatyana K If we ignore the numbers and just look at the letters, we're left with -u-10u. Factor out -u, and you get -u(1+10) = -11u.

Tatyana K I'm a little confused about something else. In the examples, when combining like terms, sometimes there's a plus sign and sometimes a minus sign between them. I can't figure out how that happens... 😭

Tatyana K If you factor out a number without a minus sign, all the signs inside the parentheses stay the same. If you factor out a number with a minus sign, all the signs inside change to their opposites.

Tatyana K Not about that... So, we've simplified the expression, found two pairs of like terms, and wrote them with the same signs that were in front of them, that's clear. We write the first like terms in parentheses, and then for the second pair in parentheses, how do we determine the sign? It's exactly the one that's between them, between the parentheses, when they exist

Tatyana K I don't understand what you're trying to say. Can you send a photo? Circle where you're confused

Tatyana K I don't understand what you're trying to say. Can you send a photo? Circle where you're confused?

Tatyana K Expression 6x - 14 - 13x + 26. Like terms are (6x - 13x) and (-14 + 26). These are two parts of one expression. When written in order, it becomes (6x - 13x) ? (-14 + 26). How do we determine the sign in place of the question mark, the one between them?

Tatyana K I understand putting things in parentheses, but I'm not sure what sign to use in between.

Tatyana K If you don't change anything in parentheses, then +

Tatyana K I'm only doing the calculations in parentheses without expanding them... Honestly, I'm totally confused 🤦

Tatyana K 6x - 14 - 13x + 26 = (6x - 13x) + (-14 + 26) = (6x - 13x) - (14 - 26)

Tatyana K So, it's always a plus sign between them, and we can only switch it to a minus if it's convenient for the calculation in the second parenthesis, right?

Tatyana K Did you understand the difference between the last two entries? If you don't change the signs in parentheses, it's +, if you do, it's -. These recording options are equivalent. You can use either option for ease of calculation.