Question

How do you simplify `(x+4) (x-3)`?

Answer 1

The only way to simplify this equation is by expansion and grouping together the like terms.

Explanation:

Expanding out the brackets
To expand out the brackets we'll use the F.O.I.L rule. The F stands for first, we will multiply the first term in both brackets together to get `x^2`. O stands for outside, we'll multiply the outside terms together, `x` and `-3` to get `-3x`. I stands for inside, we'll multiply the two inside terms together to get `4x`. Finally L stands for Last, the last terms in both brackets. Multiplying them together we get `-12`.

Overall we get `x^2-3x+4x-12`

Grouping together like terms
This part is easy! Any terms that are the same we group together into one term. The only terms we have that are the same are `-3x` and `4x` grouping these together we get `x`.

This means our final answer is `x^2+x-12`