Final answer:
To substitute the value of a into the given function, replace x with a in the expression.
Step-by-step explanation:
To substitute the value of a into the given function f(x) = 5x³ - 4x² + 1 - 2, you need to replace every instance of x with the value of a. The resulting expression will represent the function evaluated at a.
So, the substituted function would be f(a) = 5a³ - 4a² - 1.