Question

Simplify (3x - 5) - (4x + 6).
1) -x + 11
2) -x - 11
3) x + 11
4) x - 11

Answer 1

The expression (3x - 5) - (4x + 6) simplifies to -x - 11. This is achieved by changing the sign of the subtracted terms and combining like terms.

Step-by-step explanation:

To simplify the expression (3x - 5) - (4x + 6), we start by changing the sign of the terms inside the second parenthesis because we are subtracting the entire expression:

(3x - 5) - (4x + 6) becomes (3x - 5) - 4x - 6.

Now, we combine like terms:

• 3x - 4x becomes -x.
• -5 - 6 becomes -11.

So, the expression simplifies to -x - 11, which matches option 2.

It's always important to eliminate terms wherever possible to simplify the algebra and check the answer to see if it is reasonable.