Question

solve the equation 5(p - 2) = 20. how can you start solving the equation? add 2 to both sides. use the distributive property. subtract 20 from both sides. subtract 5 from both sides.

Explanation:

To solve \(5(p - 2)=20\), the first step can be using the distributive property (\(a(b - c)=ab - ac\)) to expand \(5(p - 2)\) into \(5p-10\), which simplifies the equation. Adding 2 to both sides early would not simplify the equation effectively. Subtracting 20 or 5 from both sides also does not help isolate the variable \(p\) at the start. So the correct way to start is using the distributive property.

Answer:

B. Use the distributive property.