Question

How do you simplify `(-x^3 - 2)(x^2 + 3x - 3)`?

Answer 1

See the solution process below:

Explanation:

To multiply these two terms you multiply each individual term in the left parenthesis by each individual term in the right parenthesis.

`(color(red)(-x^3) - color(red)(2))(color(blue)(x^2) + color(blue)(3x) - color(blue)(3))` becomes:

`-(color(red)(x^3) xx color(blue)(x^2)) - (color(red)(x^3) xx color(blue)(3x)) + (color(red)(x^3) xx color(blue)(3)) - (color(red)(2) xx color(blue)(x^2)) - (color(red)(2) xx color(blue)(3x)) + (color(red)(2) xx color(blue)(3))`

`-x^5 - 3x^4 + 3x^3 - 2x^2 - 6x + 6`