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Algebraic expressions.
Simplify the expression: 3(4x + 2) – 2(2x – 5) to find the value of x.
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1 Reply
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To simplify the expression 3(4x + 2) – 2(2x – 5) and find the value of x, we follow the order of operations, which is also known as PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, Addition and Subtraction).
Let’s break down the expression step by step:
Step 1: Distribute (or multiply) the numbers outside the parentheses with the terms inside.
3(4x + 2) – 2(2x – 5)
= 12x + 6 – 4x + 10 [Applying distributive property]
= 12x – 4x + 6 + 10 [Rearranging terms]
Step 2: Combine like terms (terms with the same variable and exponent).
= (12x – 4x) + (6 + 10)
= 8x + 16
Now, we have simplified the expression to 8x + 16.
To find the value of x, we need additional information or an equation. If there is no equation provided or any other context, we cannot determine a specific value for x. In this case, 8x + 16 represents the simplified form of the given expression, but the value of x remains unknown.
Therefore, without further information or an equation, we cannot determine the specific value of x.
It’s important to note that if there were additional equations or constraints provided in the problem, we could use them to solve for x and find its value. However, as the question stands, we can only simplify the expression to 8x + 16 without determining a specific value for x.