Maths-algebra: How to expand and simplify brackets

Expanding brackets may seem hard, but to be honest, once you know it will be so easy. So I will show you step by step on how to solve it.

Here is an example:

2x (2+4) +3x (5+7)

the first thing that you will do is break the equations in parts so the first part you will solve is 2x (2+4). What you will do is 2x Times 2, which is 2x. Then you will do2x times 4 which is 8x.So now you have:2x      and        8xOk for the next part you will do the same thing but with different numbers. 3x times 5 which is 15x and 3x times 7 which is21x.So in this part you have:15x    and     21xAnd now you will add them up:

• First, you lay it out like this

2x       8x            15x        21xso you add (always add) the 1st and 3rd numbers which are 2x +15x which is 17x then you add the 2nd and 4th numbers (8x +21x) which are 29xso then your answer is 17x+29x

Key facts

• when you are adding up always put the numbers in order on when you solved it.
• always add at the end
• with the answer, you don’t add 17x and 29x you just right the answer like this: 17x+29