Final answer:
The expression [-5 · (a - 2.68)] simplifies to (-5a + 13.4) by applying the distributive property, resulting in the multiplication of -5 by each term in the parentheses. The correct answer is a) ( 5a - 13.4 ).
Step-by-step explanation:
To simplify the expression [-5 · (a - 2.68)], we need to apply the distributive property. This property tells us to multiply the term outside the parentheses (-5) by each term inside the parentheses (a and -2.68). Let's perform the multiplication:
-5 · a = -5a
-5 · -2.68 = +13.4 (Note that multiplying two negatives gives a positive result)
Combining these two results gives us the simplified expression (-5a + 13.4), which corresponds to option b in the multiple-choice answers provided.
Equations are mathematical statements that assert the equality of two expressions. They typically contain variables, constants, and mathematical operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponents, and more. Equations are solved to find the value(s) of the variables that satisfy the equality.