Question 341768
5x - 4(x +9) = 2x - 3
The first step is to distribute the () part with FOIL (Front Outside Inside Last)

so that would be -4(x+9) keeping the negative factor of 4 and distributing this 
that would be    -4x + -36  
then plug that back into the equation  5x-4x-36 = 2x-3
at this point we need to eliminate x on one side to solve for x 
so first add like terms  5x-4x becomes x so we are left with x-36=2x-3
now get x on one side so let us subtract x from the left and also add 3 to the right side to get numbers on one side and x on other
x-36=2x-3
-x +3 =  -x +3
so we are left with -33 = x as the answer