Can the expression (r-3)(s+2) be simplified without knowing the values of r and s?
Yes, the expression (r-3)(s+2) can be simplified without knowing the specific values of r and s. To simplify the expression, you can apply the distributive property.
The distributive property states that for any real numbers a, b, and c, the product of a with the sum of b and c is equal to the sum of the products of a with b and a with c.
So, applying the distributive property to the expression (r-3)(s+2), we can expand it as follows:
(r-3)(s+2) = r(s+2) - 3(s+2)
Then, we can further simplify by distributing r and -3:
= rs + 2r - 3s - 6
Now, the expression (r-3)(s+2) has been simplified without knowing the specific values of r and s.