Eliminating Parentheses Examples

Eliminate parentheses in the expression 4(x + 5). And try to make it look like an accident.

This is a straightforward application of the distributive property. Distribute 4 over the quantity in parentheses to find that 4(x + 5) = 4x + 20, the new and improved version without parentheses.

Get rid of the parentheses in the expression 4 + (x + y) + z.

Since all this expression is doing is adding a bunch of stuff together (see all those plus signs?), we don't even need the parentheses in the first place. Delete them and be done with it: 4 + x + y + z.

Get rid of the parentheses in the expression z – [3 – (x – y)].

First way? Work from the inside out:

z – [3 – x + y] = z – 3 + x – y

Second way? Work from the outside in:

z – 3 + (x – y) = z – 3 + x – y

Third way? Okay, we're joshin' you. There's no third way.