How do you simplify #-(x-4)#?

1 Answer
May 17, 2016

#-x+4#

Explanation:

Given:#" "-(x-4)#

This is the same as:#" "(-1)xx(x-4)#

Which means; multiply everything inside the bracket by negative one
'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

#color(blue)("Consider "(-1)xx x)#

This is the same as # -x#

'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

#color(blue)("Consider "(-1)xx(-4))#

The number part is #1xx4=4#
The sign part is : multiply two signs that are the same and you end up with +

So #(-)xx(-)=+#

So #(-1)xx(-4) = +4#

'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

#color(blue)("Putting it all together")#

#color(brown)(-(x-4)color(green)(" "->" "-x+4)#