How do you use the distributive property to simplify #-(12-4x)+8(10-x)#?

1 Answer
Ben
Mar 24, 2018

The simplified form is #-4x+68#

Explanation:

The Distributive Property is when you apply a coefficient to all terms inside a set of parentheses. For this expression, we will use The Distributive Property twice:

#-(12-4x)+8(10-x)=-1xx(12-4x)+8xx(10-x)#

Let's do the first distribution:

#-1xx(12-4x)=(-1xx12)-(-1xx4x) = (-12)-(-4x)#

#rArr-12+4x#

...And now the second:

#8xx(10-x)=(8xx10)-(8xx x) = (80)-(8x)#

#rArr80-8x#

Finally, we put these two distributed expressions back into the original equation and simplify:

#-12+4x+80-8x = 4x-8x+80-12#

#color(red)(rArr -4x+68)#

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