which two statements are correct when simplifying the expression

Question

which two statements are correct when simplifying the expression
-7(9x - 5)

First, distribute -7

first, calculate -7 + (-5)

-7(9x -5 = -63x - 35

-7(9x -5) = -63x + 35

-7(9x -5) = 63x - 35

GPT-4o mini · Answer

To simplify the expression $-7(9x - 5)$, we need to distribute $-7$ to both terms inside the parentheses. Let's evaluate the options provided: 1. **First, distribute -7** - This statement is correct. The first step in simplifying the expression is to distribute $-7$. 2. **First, calculate -7 + (-5)** - This statement is incorrect. The calculation involving addition is not the first step when simplifying the expression. 3. **-7(9x -5) = -63x - 35** - This statement is correct. When we distribute, we get: $$ -7 \cdot 9x = -63x \quad \text{and} \quad -7 \cdot -5 = +35, $$ thus, $-7(9x - 5) = -63x + 35$. 4. **-7(9x - 5) = -63x + 35** - This statement is also correct, as shown in the previous breakdown. 5. **-7(9x - 5) = 63x - 35** - This statement is incorrect. The signs are wrong; we should have negative values. ### Summary: The correct statements are: - First, distribute -7. - -7(9x - 5) = -63x + 35.