Pearson Algebra 1 Common Core, 2011
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Pearson Algebra 1 Common Core, 2011 View details
7. The Distributive Property
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Exercise 37 Page 50

Rewrite the negative sign as - 1, then use the Distributive Property.

-18a+17b

Practice makes perfect
To simplify the expression, we will use the Distributive Property to multiply the terms on the inside of the parentheses by the term on the outside. For this specific exercise, the negative sign can be thought of as - 1.
-(18a-17b)
- 1 (18a-17b)
- 1(18a)-1(-17b)
-1(18a)+17b
-18a+17b
As - 18a and 17b are not like terms, we cannot simplify the expression further.