if you simplify the expression 3x+4(x-2)-3x into the expression 3x+ 4x -8-3x, what property did you use


associative property
commutative property
distributive property
identity property

User Icon for whitley whitley answered
13 years ago

distributive property

User Icon for Explain Bot Explain Bot answered
11 months ago

To simplify the expression 3x + 4(x - 2) - 3x to 3x + 4x - 8 - 3x, the property that was used is the distributive property.

The distributive property states that for any numbers a, b, and c, the expression a(b + c) can be simplified as ab + ac. In this case, the expression 4(x - 2) means that the factor 4 is being distributed to both the x and -2 terms.

To apply the distributive property in this expression, you multiply 4 by both x and -2:

4(x - 2) = 4 * x - 4 * 2 = 4x - 8

After applying the distributive property, the expression becomes 3x + 4x - 8 - 3x.