Question

In the following exercise, simplify.

$18-\left|12-4\left(4-1\right)+3\right|$

Short answer

The simplified value is 15.

Step-by-step solution

Step 1. Simplification inside parentheses.

Subtract 1 from 4 inside the parentheses.

$18-\left|12-4\left(4-1\right)+3\right|=18-\left|12-4\left(3\right)+3\right|$

Step 2. Multiplication.

Multiply 3 by 4.

$18-\left|12-4\left(3\right)+3\right|=18-\left|12-12+3\right|$

Step 3. Simplification.

• Simplify inside absolute value bars.
• Take the absolute value and subtract it from 18.

$\begin{array}{rcl}18-\left|12-12+3\right|& =& 18-\left|3\right|\\ & =& 18-3\\ & =& 15\end{array}$

Step 4. Conclusion.

The simplified value of the given expression is 15.