When simplifying this: (2x+5)-(5x+4) what do you get???

Question

I need to know this for a school project.

Answer 1

Karsten,

This isn't an exponents problem unless you expressed the problem incorrectly.  Simplifying this problem shouldn't be too hard though.

 

If this is simply a subtraction of the second set of parentheses:

(2x +5) - (5x + 4)

2x + 5 - 5x - 4

-3x + 1

 

If this is a multiplication problem:

(2x + 5)(-5x - 4)      ;  distribute the negative in first

Using the FOIL method for multiplying factors (First, Outside, Inside, Last):

Note: when you multiply numbers of the same base, you add the exponents together.  e.g.  x * x = x¹ * x¹ = x¹⁺¹ = x²

-10x² - 8x -25x - 20

-10x² -33x - 20

Answer 2

Because of order of operations, (2x + 5) - (5x + 4) is equivalent to saying (2x + 5) - 5x - 4.Then you have -3x + 1Another way you could have solved it is thinking about each expression as a whole and subtracting, like this:   (2x + 5)
- (5x + 4)= -3x + 1