How do you simplify #\frac { 2- 5x } { 4} - 3#?

Question

1007 views around the world

You can reuse this answer
Creative Commons License

Answer 1 · 2018-07-03T14:58:47

See a solution process below:

We can first make the term on the right a fraction over a common denominator with the fraction on the left:

#(2 - 5x)/4 - 3 => (2 - 5x)/4 - (4/4 xx 3) => (2 - 5x)/4 - (4 xx 3)/4 => (2 - 5x)/4 - 12/4#

Now, we can subtract the numerators over the common denominators, group like terms and simplify the numerator:

#(2 - 5x)/4 - 12/4 =>#

#((2 - 5x) - 12)/4 =>#

#(2 - 5x - 12)/4 =>#

#(-5x + 2 - 12)/4 =>#

#(-5x - 10)/4#

Or

#-(5x + 10)/4#