text: # How do you simplify -5(8 - b)?
  
  Jun 30, 2018
  
  $- 40 + 5 b$
  
  #### Explanation:
  
  $- 5 \left(8 - b\right)$
  
  Use the distributive property (shown below) to simplify this:
  
  Following this image, we know that:
  $\textcolor{b l u e}{- 5 \left(8 - b\right) = \left(- 5 \cdot 8\right) + \left(- 5 \cdot - b\right) = - 40 + 5 b}$
  
  Hope this helps!