Simplify: 5 + 2 cubed + 3 times [6 minus 3(4 minus 2)].
AEquals 19
BEquals 35
CEquals 9
DEquals 13
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. Equals 13
1. Work inside the innermost parentheses first: 4 minus 2 is 2, so 3 times 2 is 6.
2. Inside the brackets, 6 minus 6 equals 0, so the bracket simplifies to 0.
3. Simplify the exponent next: 2 cubed is 8.
4. Multiply 3 by the bracket value of 0, which gives 0.
5. Add the remaining terms: 5 plus 8 plus 0 equals 13.
6. Skipping the multiplication by the bracket and just adding 5, 8, and 6 would wrongly give 19.
_Source: OpenStax Elementary Algebra (CC BY 4.0), Ch 1 "Foundations", section 1.2 Use the Language of Algebra_
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