College

Which expression is equivalent to [tex]$12x^3 - 5x^3$[/tex]?

A) [tex]$7x^6$[/tex]
B) [tex]$17x^3$[/tex]
C) [tex]$7x^3$[/tex]
D) [tex]$17x^6$[/tex]

Answer :

To simplify the expression [tex]$$12x^3 - 5x^3,$$[/tex] we start by noticing that both terms contain the same variable factor, [tex]$$x^3$$[/tex]. When the terms share the same variable and exponent, we can combine them by subtracting the coefficients.

1. Write the expression with the coefficients emphasized:
[tex]$$12x^3 - 5x^3 = (12 - 5)x^3.$$[/tex]

2. Subtract the coefficients:
[tex]$$12 - 5 = 7.$$[/tex]

3. Multiply the result by the common factor:
[tex]$$7x^3.$$[/tex]

Thus, the simplified expression is [tex]$$7x^3,$$[/tex] which corresponds to option C.