how do you find decimal approximate with this problem: f(x)= -2x^2-4x+16

To find the decimal approximate for a function, such as f(x) = -2x^2 - 4x + 16, you need to follow these steps:

Step 1: Replace the variable x with the value you want to approximate. Let's say we want to find the decimal approximate for f(x) when x = 3.

Step 2: Calculate the value of the function by substituting in the given value of x. For this example, when x = 3, we have:
f(3) = -2(3)^2 - 4(3) + 16

Step 3: Simplify the expression using the order of operations (parentheses, exponents, multiplication/division, addition/subtraction). In this case:
f(3) = -2(9) - 12 + 16
= -18 - 12 + 16
= -14

Therefore, the decimal approximation for f(x) when x = 3 is -14.

Remember that this process can be used to find the decimal approximation for any function by substituting the desired value of x into the function and evaluating the expression.