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 $$165+.11x$$