Final answer:
The sum of the equation (-2x-5-3x) + (2x-2) simplifies to -3x-7 by combining like terms and using rules for addition and subtraction with negative numbers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sum of the equation (-2x-5-3x) + (2x-2) can be found by simplifying the expression step by step. First, combine like terms within each set of parentheses: this gives us (-5x-5) + (2x-2). Next, we combine the x terms and the constant terms across the entire expression: -5x + 2x gives us -3x, and -5 - 2 gives us -7. Adding these together, we obtain the simplified sum -3x-7.
To walk through the steps, we use certain rules. When we have like signs, such as two negative numbers, we add the absolute values and keep the negative sign. Conversely, when the signs are different, we subtract the smaller absolute value from the larger one, and the sign of the larger absolute value prevails. The final answer is simplified to just one term containing x and one constant term.