To solve the expression , you’ll want to use the distributive property. This means you multiply by each term inside the parentheses:

Putting it all together, the expression simplifies to . Voila! You’ve just simplified this expression like a pro!

Now that you have it simplified, you could potentially apply this in real-world situations like calculating areas, for instance. If you think of as a variable representing a length of a side of a garden, then could easily represent a different combination of lengths involved in maximizing your planting area. How neat is that?