I used the expression P = 2a + 2b to evaluate the perimeter of the donkey's pen because a rectangle has four sides, and the perimeter is the sum of the lengths of all four sides. In this case, we have two sides of length a and two sides of length b.

To find the total length of all four sides, we multiply the length of each side by 2 and then add them together. So, we have 2a + 2b. This expression accounts for both the length of the sides measuring a yards and the length of the sides measuring b yards, giving us the total perimeter of the pen. can you make this sound like a 7th grader

I used the math formula P = 2a + 2b to figure out how long all the sides of the donkey's pen are. We know that a rectangle has four sides, and the perimeter is just the total length of all those sides added up. So, since there are two sides that are a yards long and two sides that are b yards long, we can use the formula to find the total perimeter. We multiply the length of each side by 2 and then add them together: 2a + 2b. That equation covers all the sides, even if they have different lengths, giving us the whole perimeter of the pen.