Question

How do you solve `-6(n-5)=66` using the distributive property?

Answer 1

n = - 6

Explanation:

The `color(blue)"distributive property"` means multiply the terms inside the bracket by the number outside the bracket.

In general, this is `color(red)(|bar(ul(color(white)(a/a)color(black)(a(b+c)=ab+ac)color(white)(a/a)|)))`

So: `-6(n-5)=66rArr(-6xxn)+(-6xx-5)=66`

`rArr-6n+30=66`

subtract 30 from both sides of the equation.

`rArr-6n+cancel(30)-cancel(30)=66-30rArr-6n=36`

now divide both sides by -6 to obtain n

`(cancel(-6)^1 n)/cancel(-6)^1=cancel(36)^-6/cancel(-6)^1rArrn=-6`