Question

USING THE DISTRIBUTIVE PROPERTY Use the distributive property to simplify the expression. $$6(w-3)$$

Short answer

The simplified expression using the distributive property is \(6w - 18\).

Step-by-step solution

Understanding the Distributive Property

Using the distributive property means to distribute the term that's outside the parentheses to every term inside the parentheses. Here, \(6\) is to be distributed to both \(w\) and \(-3\). This implies that \(6\) must be multiplied with both \(w\) and \(-3\).

Apply the Distributive Property

When the term \(6\) outside the parentheses is distributed, the multiplication would be done as follows: \(6 * w\) and \(6 * -3\). This gives \(6w\) and \(-18\) respectively.

Simplify the Expression

After distributing and multiplying, combine the two results to simplify the expression. The simplified expression will be \(6w - 18\).