The sum of `-2xy` and `-5xy` is equal to

Options

A. `- 7xy`
B. `- 3xy`
C. 7xy
D. 3xy

Answer

To find the sum of \(-2xy\) and \(-5xy\), we will follow these steps:

### Step 1: Write down the expression
We need to find the sum of \(-2xy\) and \(-5xy\). We can express this mathematically as:
\[ -2xy + (-5xy) \]

### Step 2: Combine the like terms
Since both terms are like terms (they both contain the variable \(xy\)), we can combine them by adding their coefficients:
\[ -2 + (-5) = -2 - 5 = -7 \]
Thus, we have:
\[ -2xy + (-5xy) = -7xy \]

### Step 3: Write the final answer
The sum of \(-2xy\) and \(-5xy\) is:
\[ -7xy \]

### Final Answer:
\(-7xy\)

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