document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=85194>Question 85194</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> 2x-{4x-2[3x-4(2-2x)+6+4]-5x+3} </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #61400 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=bucky><B>bucky(2189)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=bucky><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=61400\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Given:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "2x-{4x-2[3x-4(2-2x)+6+4]-5x+3}<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "A good approach is to start with the most interior set of parentheses and work your way<BR>\n" );
document.write( "out from there. In this case the most interior set is the one that contains 2 - 2x.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Nothing can be done with the contents inside the parentheses, but you can do the distributed<BR>\n" );
document.write( "multiplication by multiplying the -4 times each term inside the parentheses.  When you do <BR>\n" );
document.write( "that multiplication of -4 times (2 - 2x), the parentheses go away and your problem becomes:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "2x-{4x-2[3x-8+8x+6+4]-5x+3}<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Next look at the terms inside the brackets.  These terms are:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "[3x-8+8x+6+4]<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "and the like terms can be combined.  Specifically you have 3x + 8x which add to 11x and<BR>\n" );
document.write( "you have -8+6+4 which adds to +2.  Therefore the terms inside the brackets are reduced to<BR>\n" );
document.write( "11x + 2. Substitute [11x + 2] for the existing bracketed terms and the problem then is<BR>\n" );
document.write( "simplified to:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "2x - {4x - 2[11x + 2]-5x + 3}<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Now do the distributed multiplication of -2 times the two terms inside the brackets.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "The -2 times 11x gives you -22x and the -2 times the +2 gives you -4. The problem is<BR>\n" );
document.write( "then simplified to:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "2x - {4x - 22x - 4 - 5x + 3}<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "The like terms inside this set of brackets can also be combined. 4x - 22x - 5x algebraically<BR>\n" );
document.write( "add up to -23x and the -4 and +3 add to -1. So the terms inside the brackets can be replaced<BR>\n" );
document.write( "by -23x - 1 and the problem becomes:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "2x - {-23x - 1}<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Then since this set of brackets is preceded by the - sign, you can remove the brackets<BR>\n" );
document.write( "if you change the sign of each term in the brackets. When you do that the simplified<BR>\n" );
document.write( "version of the problem is now:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "2x + 23x + 1<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Combine the two x terms and the final answer is:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "25x + 1<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Hope this helps you to understand the process of how to work simplifications of this sort.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Not too hard, but you need to be careful not to make sign errors because it's easy to do.<BR>\n" );
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