Question

What is −2x−x+8 help please

Answer 1

Answer:

  -3x +8

Step-by-step explanation:

Apparently, you want to simplify the expression. That means you want to "collect terms", or "combine like terms."

"Like terms" are ones with the same variable structure. Here, the three terms in the expression are (-2x), (-x), and (+8). The ones that both have x as a variable are (-2x) and (-x). The way we combine these is to add the coefficients of the variable:

  (-2x) +(-x) = x(-2) +x(-1)

  = x(-2 -1)

  = x(-3)

  = -3x

So, the two "x" terms combine to give -3x. The constant term (+8) is not combined with anything. The simplified expression is then ...

  -3x +8

_____

Additional comments about writing and combining terms

When math symbols are written next to each other, it means they are multiplied. -2x means (-2) × (x). It can be written several ways, including ...

• -2x
• (-2)x
• x(-2)
• (x)(-2)
• (-1)(2x)

Usually, the coefficient is written in front of the variable. In the above, we have chosen to write the coefficient after the variable so that the expression shows some parallelism with the usual expression of the distributive property:

  a(b +c) = ab +ac

  x(-2 -1) = x(-2) +x(-1)