Final answer:
Lauren made a mistake in combining like terms. To correct this, she should group and combine terms with the same variable and exponent, resulting in the simplified expression 8x^2 - 4x - 5. Kiarra can help by walking Lauren through the steps of combining like terms and verifying the result.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves combining like terms to simplify an algebraic expression, which is a key concept in algebra. Lauren's expression is 3x - 2x + 4x^2 - 3x^2 - 5x + 7x^2 - 5. To correct Lauren's mistake, we need to combine like terms, which are terms that have the same variable raised to the same power.
To simplify the expression, we group like terms together:
- (3x - 2x - 5x) which are the 'x' terms,
- (4x^2 - 3x^2 + 7x^2) which are the 'x^2' terms,
- -5 which is the constant term.
Now, let's combine them:
- (3x - 2x - 5x) = -4x,
- (4x^2 - 3x^2 + 7x^2) = 8x^2,
- The constant term remains as -5.
So, the simplified expression is 8x^2 - 4x - 5.
Kiarra can help Lauren by guiding her through the process of grouping and combining like terms, and then checking the answer to ensure it is reasonable. This algebraic simplification can greatly help in solving equations and making algebra more manageable for students.