Question: how do you subtract variables?
Answer: Addition. In this equation, you can add all of the coefficients (2, 5, and 4) because the variables are the same (a). 2a + 5a + 4a = 11a.
Subtraction. In this equation, you can subtract all of the coefficients (11, 5, and 4) because the variables are the same (a). 11a – 5a – 4a = 2a.