Question which-

2.4 Equivalent Expressions - Simplifying polynomials
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Which of the following expressions is equivalent to 2 times, open parenthesis, a, b minus 3, close parenthesis, plus 2 ?

A.

2 a, b, minus 1

B.

2 a, b, minus 4

C.

2 a, b, minus 5

D.

2 a, b, minus 8

Which of the following expressions is equivalent to ?

Medium-difficulty · SAT Math · Equivalent Expressions — Simplifying polynomials. Read the question above, select your answer, and check the full explanation below to understand exactly why the correct choice works.

Answer explanation

Choice B is correct. Applying the distributive property to the given expression yields 2 times a, b, plus, 2 times negative 3, plus 2, or 2 a, b minus 6, plus 2. Adding the like terms negative 6 and 2 results in the expression 2 a, b minus 4.

Choice A is incorrect and may result from multiplying a, b by 2 without multiplying negative 3 by 2 when applying the distributive property. Choices C and D are incorrect and may result from computational or conceptual errors.