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Firstly we need to look at the expression inside of parentheses.
Remember:
When we multiply a negative number by a negative number, the result will be positive.
When we multiply a positive number by a negative number, the result will be negative.
Therefore:
Now let's combine the terms:
Then we can combine the terms:
Finally let's combine the terms:
This leaves us with:
\( 100-(5+55)= \)
The negative sign acts like multiplying by -1. When you multiply each term by -1, positive terms become negative and negative terms become positive. Think of it as:
Use this rule: opposite of opposite! If you see a negative sign outside parentheses, every term inside gets the opposite of its current sign. Positive becomes negative, negative becomes positive.
The same rule applies! Distribute the negative to every single term, no matter how many there are. For example:
No! You must distribute the negative first, then combine like terms. Changing the order will give you the wrong answer.
Substitute simple numbers for the variables and calculate both the original expression and your simplified version. If they give the same result, you distributed correctly!
They're exactly the same! The plus sign in front of 2b is understood even when not written. Both expressions are equal and represent the correct answer.
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