need help with this problem. I get confused when it should be neg or postive.
- Thread starter salar2001
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We need to see your work to know where you are getting stuck!
If you think of multiplication by a negative as changing the direction on the number line, then multiplying by a second negative will switch it back again. (-)*(-) = (+). [but there are no cases of (-)*(-) in this expression]
In the product of the first 2 binomials, if you use FOIL, the "O" term and the "L" term are both negative because they include multiplication by -2.
When you distribute the multiplication in the -2(a+3) term, the -2 multiplies everything inside the parentheses.
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I will guess that the instructions for this expression were something like "simplify". I will guess that your confusion relates to dealing with the "minus" signs when doing the multiplications, etc. If so, then there are lessons available online ( link ) which should prove helpful.
If you are having a particular issue with this particular exercise, we'll need to see your work so far, so we can figure out the source of the difficulty. Thank you!
After expanding as you have done, you need to "collect like terms." There is only one term with a^2, so it stands. All terms with a can be combined into a single term, and all the constants can be combined into a single constant.
Even then you might not be finished. Can you test whether or not the trinomial you get can be factored? [I don't think it has rational factors in this case.]