Asked by D4VD

Four students are simplifying the expression 5x(–3 – 7x).

Which student’s work is correct?

5x(–3 – 7x)
(5x)(–3) – 7x
–15x –7x
5x(–3 – 7x)
(5x)(–3) – (5x)(7x)
–15 – 35x
5x(–3 – 7x)
–3 + 5x – 7x
–3 – 2x
5x(–3 – 7x)
(5x)(–3) + (5x)(–7x)
–15x – 35x2

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Student D is correct.

Work: 5x(−3 − 7x) = (5x)(−3) + (5x)(−7x) = −15x − 35x^2.

Why the others are wrong (brief):
- First student forgot to multiply 5x by 7x.
- Second student dropped the x in (5x)(−3) (it’s −15x, not −15).
- Third student rewrote the expression incorrectly and didn’t distribute 5x at all.