Question

Which expression is equivalent to 7 – 3(2x + 5)?
Responses
A 4(2x + 5)4(2 x + 5)
B 7 – 3(7x)7 – 3(7 x )
C 7 – 6x + 5 7 – 6x + 5
D -6x – 8

Answer 1

To simplify the expression \( 7 - 3(2x + 5) \), we can start by distributing the -3 across the terms inside the parentheses.

1. Distribute \(-3\):
\[
-3(2x) = -6x
\]
\[
-3(5) = -15
\]

2. Substitute these back into the expression:
\[
7 - 3(2x + 5) = 7 - 6x - 15
\]

3. Now combine the constants \(7\) and \(-15\):
\[
7 - 15 = -8
\]
Therefore, we have:
\[
-6x - 8
\]

The equivalent expression is:
\[
-6x - 8
\]

Thus, the correct response is:
**D** \(-6x - 8\)