A rectangle is a parallelogram containing four right angles. Opposite sides (a = c, b = d) are equal and the perimeter is the sum of the lengths of all sides (a + b + c + d) or, comonly, 2 x length x width. The area of a rectangle is length x width. A square is a rectangle with four equal length sides. The perimeter of a square is 4 x length of one side (4s) and the area is the length of one side squared (s²).

To combine like terms, add or subtract the coefficients (the numbers that come before the variables) of terms that have the same variable raised to the same exponent.

7a² - 8a² = -1a²

The surface area of a cube is (2 x length x width) + (2 x width x height) + (2 x length x height):

sa = 2lw + 2wh + 2lh
sa = (2 x 8 x 1) + (2 x 1 x 4) + (2 x 8 x 4)
sa = (16) + (8) + (64)
sa = 88

A circle is a figure in which each point around its perimeter is an equal distance from the center. The radius of a circle is the distance between the center and any point along its perimeter. A chord is a line segment that connects any two points along its perimeter. The diameter of a circle is the length of a chord that passes through the center of the circle and equals twice the circle's radius (2r).

You can only add or subtract monomials that have the same variable and the same exponent. For example, 2a + 4a = 6a and 4a² - a² = 3a² but 2a + 4b and 7a - 3b cannot be combined. However, you can multiply and divide monomials with unlike terms. For example, 2a x 6b = 12ab.