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Distribute a negative or subtraction across parentheses

Grade 6 math · Fieldbook Learning

Name ______________________ Date __________

A minus sign in front of brackets changes the sign of every term inside. Expand first, then combine if you can.

  1. Expand: −(4a + 5)
  2. Expand: −2(3y − 5)
  3. Expand: −5(3m + 4)
  4. Expand: −4(3t − 1)
  5. Expand: −7(8a − 4)
  6. Expand: −8(9b + 8)
  7. Expand: −2(8t − 5)
  8. Expand: −3(2y − 1)
  9. Expand and simplify (letter term first, then number): 18 − 8(2b − 5)
  10. Expand and simplify (letter term first, then number): 3 − 2(9t − 6)
  11. Expand and simplify (letter term first, then number): 14 − 5(p − 5)
  12. Expand and simplify (letter term first, then number): m − 9(9m − 6)
  13. Expand and simplify (letter term first, then number): 18 − 11(7a + 8)
  14. Expand and simplify (letter term first, then number): 10 − 8(3p + 6)
  15. Expand and simplify (letter term first, then number): 16y − (4y + 7)
  16. Expand and simplify (letter term first, then number): 3w − 9(9w + 3)
  17. Expand and simplify (letter term first, then number): 37w − 14(12w − 9)
  18. Expand and simplify (letter term first, then number): 10w − 11(17w + 18)
  19. Expand and simplify (letter term first, then number): 2a − 14(12a − 10)
  20. Expand and simplify (letter term first, then number): 36x − 8(10x − 5)
More free practice: fieldbooklearning.com/practice/grade-6/distribute-a-negative-or-subtraction-across-parentheses/

Answer key: Distribute a negative or subtraction across parentheses

  1. −4a − 5
  2. −6y + 10
  3. −15m − 20
  4. −12t + 4
  5. −56a + 28
  6. −72b − 64
  7. −16t + 10
  8. −6y + 3
  9. −16b + 58
  10. −18t + 15
  11. −5p + 39
  12. −80m + 54
  13. −77a − 70
  14. −24p − 38
  15. 12y − 7
  16. −78w − 27
  17. −131w + 126
  18. −177w − 198
  19. −166a + 140
  20. −44x + 40