Use the distributive property to remove the parentheses.

To apply the distributive property here, you can effectively treat the expression as . This means you multiply each term inside the parentheses by 1, which leaves them unchanged. So, the expression simplifies directly to:

Now, you’ve successfully removed the parentheses while keeping the expression intact. Nice and easy!

If you’re ever in doubt, remember: the distributive property is all about breaking down expressions in a way that makes them easier to work with, especially when you need to combine like terms or simplify before solving equations. Just watch out for negative signs—they can be sneaky!