simplify the expression 7x2 + 8x - 2 (x^2 + 4) - 6 what is the coefficient of x in the simplified expression

To simplify the expression 7x^2 + 8x - 2(x^2 + 4) - 6, we can start by distributing -2 to the terms inside the parentheses:

7x^2 + 8x - 2x^2 - 8 - 6

Simplifying further, we combine like terms:

(7x^2 - 2x^2) + 8x + (-8 - 6)

This gives us:

5x^2 + 8x - 14

The coefficient of x in the simplified expression is 8.