How would I simplify this?
$5\% \cdot \frac12 \left(3000 + 2x\right)$
How would I simplify this?
$5\% \cdot \frac12 \left(3000 + 2x\right)$
You have: $0.05\cdot0.5(3000+2x)=0.025\cdot(3000+2x)=75+0.05x$
Assuming this is what you mean:
$5\%*\frac{1}{2}*(3000+2x)$
I assume you know that $5\%=\frac{5}{100}=\frac{1}{20}$. So we have
$\frac{1}{40}*(3000+2x)=\frac{3000}{40}+\frac{2x}{40}=75+\frac{x}{20}$
If that's what the solution is supposed to be to your problem, it looks like the original problem should be
$ 0.11\cdot\frac{1}{2}(3000+2x) $
I would reduce this by distributing the 1/2 first: $ 0.11(1500+x) $ Then distribute the .11, using the trick $.11(1500)=.11(100)15=11(15)=165$ to get $165+.11x$