Question

How do you multiply `(m - 5)(m + 2)`?

Answer 1

You multiply element by element.

Explanation:

When you multiply two parenthesis you have to multiply each element inside the first parenthesis for each element of the second parenthesis.

`(m-5)(m+2)`

`=m*m+m*2+(-5)*m+(-5)*2`

`=m^2+2m-5m-10`

Now the terms with the same power can be summed together.
In this case the only terms with the same power are `2m` and `-5m` and their sum is `2m-5m=-3m`. The final result is

`=m^2+2m-5m-10`

`=m^2-3m-10`.