Question

How do you simplify `2 abs(3(-3) -5)`?

Answer 1

The answer is 28.

Explanation:

Following the order of operations, we simplify inside the absolute value signs first.

`|3(-3) - 5|`
The first step is to multiply the `3` and `-3`, which is `-9`.

`|-9 - 5|`
Next we subtract `5` from `-9`, which gives `-14`.

We are now left with `|-14|`. Absolute value can be thought of as the distance from 0 on the number line. We are 14 units away from 0, but since distance cannot be negative, `|-14|` becomes `14`.

We are left with 2 x 14, which is 28, our answer.