MHB What Are the Steps to Simplify Algebraic Expressions?

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To simplify the expression -2x[5x-(2x-7)]+6x[3x-(1+2x)], first simplify the inner components: 5x - (2x - 7) becomes 3x + 7, leading to -2x(3x + 7) = -6x^2 - 14x. Next, simplify 3x - (1 + 2x) to get x - 1, resulting in 6x(x - 1) = 6x^2 - 6x. Finally, combine the two parts: -6x^2 - 14x + 6x^2 - 6x simplifies to -20x. The final simplified expression is -20x.
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How do you simplify this?
$$-2x[5x-(2x-7)]+6x[3x-(1+2x)]$$

Can someone show the steps? I keep getting the wrong answer.
 
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eleventhxhour said:
How do you simplify this?
$$-2x[5x-(2x-7)]+6x[3x-(1+2x)]$$

Can someone show the steps? I keep getting the wrong answer.

I would first simplify the inside pieces, multiple, and then add. That is,
\[
5x - (2x - 7) = 5x - 2x + 7
\]
Correct?
Then we have
\[
-2x(3x + 7) = -6x^2 - 14x
\]
Now for the other piece, we have
\[
3x - 1 - 2x = x - 1
\]
Correct?
Then we have
\[
6x(x-1) = 6x^2 - 6x
\]
Now we can add the two pieces together to get
\[
-6x^2 - 14x + 6x^2 - 6x = -20x
\]
 
Last edited:
eleventhxhour said:
How do you simplify this?
$$-2x[5x-(2x-7)]+6x[3x-(1+2x)]$$

Can someone show the steps? I keep getting the wrong answer.

This is practically a duplicate of a previous question. You were given plenty of reponses. If you didn't understand you should have asked for clarification, although expanding brackets is so fundamental you will be able to find step by step guides in any textbook on secondary school algebra.
 
Here is a little puzzle from the book 100 Geometric Games by Pierre Berloquin. The side of a small square is one meter long and the side of a larger square one and a half meters long. One vertex of the large square is at the center of the small square. The side of the large square cuts two sides of the small square into one- third parts and two-thirds parts. What is the area where the squares overlap?

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