Question

Meredith is solving the equation 7x + 3(x - 2) = 14. Her first step is shown as 7x + 3x - 6 = 14. Which property did Meredith apply in her first step?

a) Associative property
b) Commutative property
c) Distributive property
d) Inverse property

Answer 1

Meredith applied the distributive property to the equation by multiplying the number outside the parentheses by each term inside the parentheses, which resulted in the revised equation 7x + 3x - 6 = 14.

Step-by-step explanation:

Meredith applied the distributive property to the equation 7x + 3(x - 2) = 14. This property allows her to multiply the 3 outside the parentheses by both x and -2 inside the parentheses, resulting in 3x and -6. The revised equation thus becomes 7x + 3x - 6 = 14. To continue solving, she would combine like terms and isolate x to find its value.