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So I'm playing around with some maths, looking through my old algebra and calculus books and came upon this problem and so, I went through and simplified it or at least I believe I've simplified it correctly.

Simplify $-8x - 12 + 3x - 5x + 9$

[(-8x - 12) + 3x] - 5x + 9                   order of operations [-8x - (12 + 3x)] - 5x + 9                   associative property      at [... - (12 + 3x)], i think this is identity property [-8x - (3x + 12)] - 5x + 9                   commutative property [-8x - 3x - 12] - 5x + 9 -11x - 12 - 5x + 9                           combine like terms [(-11x - 12) - 5x] + 9                       order of operations [-11x - (12 - 5x)] + 9                       associative property [-11x - (-5x + 12)] + 9                      commutative property -11x + 5x - 12 + 9 -6x - 12 + 9                                 combine like terms -6x - 3                                      add 

Is this the simplified answer -6x - 3 ?

Thanks,

  • 1
    It should be $-10x-3$. The only thing you need to do is, $(-8+3-5)x+(9-12)$.2012-05-27
  • 0
    ah, yes, even simpler.2012-05-27

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