document.write( "Question 99504: Please help with this -5a+7-2a+6 is -7a-1 correct? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #72410 by doukungfoo(195)\"\" \"About 
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Is this what you are given?\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"-5a%2B7-2a%2B6\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "If so then to simplify all you can do is combine like terms.
\n" ); document.write( "So -5a and -2a combine to equal -7a
\n" ); document.write( "Then +7 and +6 combine to equal 13
\n" ); document.write( "so the simplified answer would be
\n" ); document.write( "\"-7a%2B13\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Now if the original problem was written with parentheses around 2a+6 like this:\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"-5a%2B7-%282a%2B6%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "Then you would distribute the - sign by multiplying -1 times 2a and -1 times 6
\n" ); document.write( "resulting in this
\n" ); document.write( "\"-5a%2B7-2a-6\"
\n" ); document.write( "which would simplify by combining like terms to this:
\n" ); document.write( "\"-7a%2B1\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "does that help?
\n" ); document.write( "
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