To find the area of a triangle, multiply the base by the height, and then divide by 2. The division by 2 comes from the fact that a parallelogram can be divided into 2 triangles. For example, in the diagram to the left, the area of each triangle is equal to one-half the area of the parallelogram.
-86 = -6(-3p - 3) - 5p
Distribute the -6 into the parentheses:
-86 = (-6 * -3p) + (-6 * -3) - 5p
-86 = 18p + 18 - 5p
Simplify:
-86 = 13p + 18
Subtract both sides by 18:
-86 - 18 = 13p + 18 - 18
-104 = 13p
Divide both sides by 13:
= 
= 
<u>p = -8</u>
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Good luck! If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask :))
-T.B.