What is the simplified form of (8x + 1) − (3x + 1)?
Because a minus sign precedes the second bracket, the signs of both terms inside it change: (8x + 1) − (3x + 1) = 8x + 1 − 3x − 1. Combining like terms gives 8x − 3x = 5x and 1 − 1 = 0, so the answer is 5x. In option C, the constant terms have not been subtracted correctly. Exam tip: when removing a bracket preceded by a minus sign, change the sign of every term inside the bracket.
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