How can we simplify the expression a^2c + 5bc + ab?

To simplify the expression a²c + 5bc + ab, we will look for common terms that can be combined.

First, observe that the expression contains three terms:

• a²c
• 5bc
• ab

There are no like terms among these, as each term has different combinations of coefficients and variables. Thus, we cannot combine them further through addition or subtraction.

However, what we can do is factor out any common variable. In this case, the only common variable among all terms is c in the term a²c and b in 5bc and ab.

If we want to factor out c from the first term, we would have:

c(a² + 5b + ab/c)

However, factoring out something meaningful from the entire expression doesn’t simplify it into a neater form. Thus, in conclusion, the expression can be left as.

a²c + 5bc + ab because no further simplification is possible.

This expression represents a polynomial where each term contributes uniquely to the overall value based on various combinations of a, b, and c.