Final answer:
To subtract -12x^3 from 4x^5, we add 12x^3 to 4x^5, resulting in 4x^5 + 12x^3, as they are not like terms and cannot be combined further.
Step-by-step explanation:
To subtract -12x3 from 4x5, we follow the rule that subtracting a negative is the same as adding a positive. So, we change the subtraction to addition and the sign of the second term to positive:
4x5 - (-12x3) = 4x5 + 12x3
Since these terms are not like terms (they do not have the same exponents), we simply write them next to each other. The answer, in descending order, is:
4x5 + 12x3