Simplify the expression 4(x^2 - 2).
Understand the Problem
The question is asking to simplify the expression 4(x^2 - 2) by distributing the 4 across the terms inside the parentheses.
Answer
$4x^2 - 8$
Answer for screen readers
$4x^2 - 8$
Steps to Solve
- Distribute the 4 to $x^2$
Multiply 4 by $x^2$:
$4 * x^2 = 4x^2$
- Distribute the 4 to -2
Multiply 4 by -2:
$4 * -2 = -8$
- Combine the terms
Combine the results from the previous steps:
$4x^2 - 8$
$4x^2 - 8$
More Information
The simplified expression is a quadratic expression.
Tips
A common mistake is not correctly distributing the 4 to both terms inside the parentheses. For example, some might only multiply 4 by $x^2$ and forget to multiply it by -2. Another mistake could be making an arithmetic error when multiplying 4 by -2.
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