Question

Foster’s answer to the question he wrote for Ranger was 7x + (–3), while Ranger’s answer was 7x – 3. They both checked their work by letting x = 5, and they both claim to be correct. Are they both correct? Explain

Answer 1

Dude their answers are the same

Explanation:

Adding a negative is the same as subtracting

Answer 2

Yes, they're both correct

Explanation:

They are both correct because both equations are equal. You could rewrite 7x + (-3) as 7x + 1(-3) and when you "distribute" the positive 1 the equation becomes 7x-3 which is the same thing as 7x-3. When you're subtracting 1 you're also technically adding negative 1