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8x-6x-3 what do you do when there are two multiplication signs in multiplicating integers?

User Shreerang
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2 Answers

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Those are variable not multiplication signs
Solve the variables and see what the answer is I don't believe you can go any farther than it being 2x-3 unless you want a fraction.
User Mornaner
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A math sentence involving multiple operations is evaluated according to the Order of Operations. Multiplication is done left to right.

(8) × (-6) × (-3)

= ((8) × (-6)) × (-3)

= (-48) × (-3)

= 144

_____

The associative and commutative properties of multiplication allow you to rearrange this to any convenient order. You can also remove factors of -1 from the negative numbers and deal with those separately, if you like.

8 × -6 × -3

= 8 × -1 × 6 × -1 × 3

= (-1)×(-1) × 8 × 6 × 3

= 1 × 8 × 6 × 3

= 8 × 6 × 3 . . . . . . 1 times anything is that thing. That's the multiplicative identity property.

= 3 × 6 × 8 . . . . . if you want. (Order for multiplication of numbers doesn't matter. It does matter when multiplying certain other things, like matrices or vectors.)

User Jeiea
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