Look at the student work shown below.

simplify: 4t(2s – 7).

(4t)(2s) – 7

8st - 7

did the student correctly simplify the expression? if “yes,” explain the steps the student followed. if “no,” explain what the student did wrong and what should have been done.

Alrighty, so you said, simplify: 4t (2s - 7)

When there is a variable or number outside of the parenthesis, it means that it wants the whole thing multiplied by that number.

So, your right way to do this is:

4t (2s) + 4t (-7)

Simplify.

8st - 28t

So, the student incorrectly simplified them because she didn't multiply -7 by 4t like they should have.

~Hope I helped!~