Adding & Subtracting
Adding and Subtracting
Subtracting
To subtract functions, first change the sign of every term being subtracted using the Distributive Property. Eliminate the parentheses and combine like terms.
Example Given f(x) = 2x2 and g(x) = 3x2+ 1, what is f(x) - g(x)?
Example Given f(x) = 2x2 and g(x) = 3x2+ 1, what is f(x) - g(x)?
Step 1. Replace f(x) and g(x) with their equivalent expressions.
f(x) - g(x)
(2x2) - (3x2 + 1)
Step 2. Use the Distributive Property to change the sign of every term of g(x).
2x2 - 3x2 - 1
Step 3. Combine like terms.
-1x2 - 1 or -x2 - 1