Hey there!
Do you remember what the Distributive property states? If not, no worries! Here's what this property states:
a(b+c)=ab+ac
In this formula, a, b, and c can be
- Constants. These are numbers like 1, 2, 3, or -1, -2, -3... or even fractions, decimals... (all real numbers)
- Variables. These are letters like d, a, s, e, t, k, a...
- Variables can have a number next to them; it's called a coefficient.
Now that we know what this property states, let's simplify this expression.
5(x-2)
First, multiply 5 times x:
5x (5 is the coefficient of x, by the way)
Then, multiply 5 times -2 (please pay attention to the sign) :)
-10
Put both terms together.
Hence, the simplified expression is
Is it possible to simplify the expression any further? No.
Why? Because 5x and -10 aren't like terms, so we cannot combine them.
Hope everything is clear.
Let me know if you have any questions!
#ILoveLearning
:-)