PSAT Math : Distributive Property

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for PSAT Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #11 : Distributive Property

If , and , then 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

To find what  equals, you must know how to multiply  times , or, you must know how to multiply binomials. The best way to multiply monomials is the FOIL (first, outside, inside, last) method, as shown below:

Multiply the First terms

Multiply the Outside terms:

Multiply the Inside terms:

Note: this step yields a negative number because the product of the two terms is negative.

Multiply the Last terms:

Note: this step yields a negative number too!

Putting the results together, you get:

Finally, combine like terms, and you get:

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