Parentheses Problems

In the UK I should say brackets problems but I lose the alliteration.

What hand would lead to this?

Record

Maths 5(4 - 3x)

A possible hand would be

Which gives the same result as

Which gives the same result as

Which gives the same result as

Which uses less pieces.

In some cases it is easier to play with the pieces on the game board.

On the game board the result would be







Removing the pieces from the boxes gives




This is twenty black counters and fifteen negative wildboxes

This is the result of playing the hand

5(4 – 3x) can also be written as 20 – 15x

Or in mathematics 5(4 – 3x) = 20 – 15x

NOTE

20 – 15x has been written as the product of two factors 5 and 4 – 3x

More on factorising with wildcards and wildboxes later.