Final answer:
To solve the equation using the distributive property, distribute the number on the outside of the parentheses to each term inside. Then isolate the variable terms on one side and solve for x.
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve the equation using the distributive property, you need to multiply the number on the outside of the parentheses by each term inside the parentheses. In this case, the equation is 2(x + 20) = 4x. To distribute the 2, you would multiply it by x, getting 2x, and then multiply it by 20, getting 40. So the equation becomes 2x + 40 = 4x.
To isolate the variable terms on one side, you can subtract 2x from both sides of the equation to eliminate the 2x term. This gives you 40 = 2x.
Finally, to solve for x, you need to divide both sides of the equation by 2. This gives you x = 20.