How do you evaluate #-5( ( - 2) \cdot ( - 8) - 15) - 2#?

1 Answer
Feb 26, 2018

#-7#

Explanation:

This is really a test of being very careful with your order of operations.

Will begin with what's inside the parenthesis:

#-5color(red)(((-2)*(-8)-15))-2#

Remove the parenthesis around #-2# and #-8#

#-5color(red)((-2*-8-15))-2#

Following our order of operations we multiply first and then subtract. So...

#-5color(red)((16-15))-2#

#-5(1)-2#

Again, following our operations, we'll multiply #-5# and #-31# and then subtract #2#:

#-5-2#

#-7#