The box below shows the first two of four steps for identifying equivalent expressions.
• Simplify each expression. • Substitute a number for each variable. •

• Which shows the last two steps in the directions?

• Compare the resulting expressions.
• If they have identical terms, the expressions are equivalent.

• Compute the value of each expression.
• Compare the values. If they are equal, the expressions are equivalent.

• Decide if there are like terms in each expression.
• Compare the like terms to simplify each expression.

• Compare each expression, looking for like terms between them.
• If each term matches one in the other expression, they are equivalent.