College Math Placement Practice Test 2026 – Comprehensive All-in-One Guide for Exam Success!

To simplify the expression 3(2x + 4) - 2(x - 5), we begin by using the distributive property to eliminate the parentheses.

First, distribute the 3 across the terms inside the first set of parentheses:

3(2x) + 3(4) = 6x + 12.

Next, distribute the -2 across the terms inside the second set of parentheses:

-2(x) + -2(-5) = -2x + 10.

Now, we combine both results:

6x + 12 - 2x + 10.

Combine like terms:

6x - 2x gives us 4x,

And 12 + 10 gives us 22.

So, the entire expression simplifies to:

4x + 22.

This shows that the correct answer is indeed 4x + 22. The confusion may arise from miscalculating the distributive steps or adding the constants incorrectly. However, the steps outlined lead us consistently to the correct simplified expression.