SOLUTION: 1/5 (-5a +20b) - 1/2(2b-6a) Every source I find has the second a value being positive after distributing the half. They say it as b + 3a, and I always get it as b - 3a. How does

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Question 1097237: 1/5 (-5a +20b) - 1/2(2b-6a)
Every source I find has the second a value being positive after distributing the half. They say it as b + 3a, and I always get it as b - 3a. How does 1/2 (2b - 6a) become b + 3a? How does the - get changed to a plus? I get -4a + 3b whenever I finish the problem, but every source I find says the answer is 2a + 3b. The sources are this website, mathpapa.com, and my in-class answer sheet by my teacher. Thank you.
Found 2 solutions by Boreal, MathTherapy:
Answer by Boreal(15235)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
1/5 (-5a +20b) - 1/2(2b-6a)
distribute the 1/5 over the -5a to get -a and over 20b to get 4b
The first term is -a+4b
distribute the (-1/2) over 2b to get -b and over -6a to get +3a (two minuses make a plus)
The second term is -b+3a
Adding them would be 3b+2a
The second term has a negative b term, because the (-1/2), and one takes the minus sign with the 1/2
The a is already negative, so the -1/2 will make it positive.
Answer by MathTherapy(10552)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

1/5 (-5a +20b) - 1/2(2b-6a)
Every source I find has the second a value being positive after distributing the half. They say it as b + 3a, and I always get it as b - 3a. How does 1/2 (2b - 6a) become b + 3a? How does the - get changed to a plus? I get -4a + 3b whenever I finish the problem, but every source I find says the answer is 2a + 3b. The sources are this website, mathpapa.com, and my in-class answer sheet by my teacher. Thank you.
It is INDEED 2a + 3b.

It's not 



 ------ Distributing terms

 

 

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