How do you simplify -5(x-7)?

1 Answer
Apr 14, 2018

-5x + 35

Explanation:

The easiest way to solve this problem is to use the distributive property:

![https://sites.google.com/a/d83.org/math-6/chapter-6/6-6-the-distributive-property](useruploads.socratic.orguseruploads.socratic.org)

Basically you multiply the number outside the parentheses by everything inside the parentheses.

color(blue)(-5)(color(orange)x color(green)(- 7))

(color(blue)(-5) xx color(orange)x) + (color(blue)(-5) xx color(green)(-7))

-5x + (+35)

color(white)"xxxxxxxxx"uarr remember that "negative" xx "negative" = "positive". That's why 35 is positive.

-5x + 35