To simplify the expression \( 4 + 8(3x - 2) - 7x \), we will follow the order of operations and apply the distributive property.
Step 1: Distribute the \(8\) into the parentheses
The expression inside the parentheses is \(3x - 2\). We will use the distributive property to multiply \(8\) by each term inside the parentheses:
\[ 8(3x) - 8(2) = 24x - 16 \]
Step 2: Substitute back into the expression
Now, we substitute \(24x - 16\) back into the original expression:
\[ 4 + (24x - 16) - 7x \]
Step 3: Combine like terms
Next, we can simplify the expression by combining like terms. Start by rewriting it clearly:
\[ 4 + 24x - 16 - 7x \]
Now, combine the constant terms (\(4 - 16\)) and the \(x\) terms (\(24x - 7x\)):
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Constant terms: \[ 4 - 16 = -12 \]
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Like terms (with x): \[ 24x - 7x = 17x \]
Step 4: Write the final simplified expression
Combining both results, we have:
\[ -12 + 17x \]
To write it in standard form, we can express it as:
\[ 17x - 12 \]
Final Answer
The simplified expression is:
\[ 17x - 12 \]