Question

How do you simplify `[(3a + 4b)2]-5`?

Answer 1

First, expand the term within parenthesis by multiplying by the term outside the parenthesis, `color(red)(2)`:

`[(3a + 4b)color(red)(2)] - 5 ->`

`[(color(red)(2) xx 3a) + (color(red)(2) xx 4b)] - 5 ->`

`[6a + 8b] - 5 ->`

We can now remove the brackets to give:

`6a + 8b - 5`