To simplify the equation \( -2(x+3) = -10 \), the best first step is to distribute the \(-2\) on the left side of the equation. This process is known as the distributive property.
Applying the distributive property involves multiplying the \(-2\) by each term inside the parentheses:
[tex]\[
-2(x + 3) = -2 \cdot x + (-2) \cdot 3 = -2x - 6
\][/tex]
Therefore, the equation simplifies to:
[tex]\[
-2x - 6 = -10
\][/tex]
This results in a new, simpler equation that can be solved using additional algebraic operations.
