If h(x)=x

2
−3 and k(x)=5+x, what is h(k(−1))?

13

−12

15

−16

1 answer

To find \( h(k(-1)) \), we first need to evaluate \( k(-1) \).

The function \( k(x) \) is defined as: \[ k(x) = 5 + x \] So we can calculate \( k(-1) \): \[ k(-1) = 5 + (-1) = 5 - 1 = 4 \]

Now that we have \( k(-1) = 4 \), we can find \( h(k(-1)) \) which is equivalent to \( h(4) \).

The function \( h(x) \) is defined as: \[ h(x) = x^2 - 3 \] Now we calculate \( h(4) \): \[ h(4) = 4^2 - 3 = 16 - 3 = 13 \]

Thus, \( h(k(-1)) = h(4) = 13 \).

The answer is: \[ \boxed{13} \]