How do you simplify $\frac { 2- 5x } { 4} - 3$ ?

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Answer 1 · 2018-07-03T14:58:47

See a solution process below:

We can first make the term on the right a fraction over a common denominator with the fraction on the left:

$(2 - 5x)/4 - 3 => (2 - 5x)/4 - (4/4 xx 3) => (2 - 5x)/4 - (4 xx 3)/4 => (2 - 5x)/4 - 12/4$

Now, we can subtract the numerators over the common denominators, group like terms and simplify the numerator:

$(2 - 5x)/4 - 12/4 =>$

$((2 - 5x) - 12)/4 =>$

$(2 - 5x - 12)/4 =>$

$(-5x + 2 - 12)/4 =>$

$(-5x - 10)/4$

Or

$-(5x + 10)/4$

How do you simplify \frac { 2- 5x } { 4} - 3\frac { 2- 5x } { 4} - 3?