Simplify (2-a)(4-a)

$(2 - a) (4 - a)$

Step 1

Expand $(2 - a) (4 - a)$ using the FOIL Method.

Apply the distributive property.

$2 (4 - a) - a (4 - a)$

Apply the distributive property.

$2 \cdot 4 + 2 (- a) - a (4 - a)$

Apply the distributive property.

$2 \cdot 4 + 2 (- a) - a \cdot 4 - a (- a)$

$2 \cdot 4 + 2 (- a) - a \cdot 4 - a (- a)$

Step 2

Simplify and combine like terms.

Simplify each term.

Multiply $2$ by $4$ .

$8 + 2 (- a) - a \cdot 4 - a (- a)$

Multiply $- 1$ by $2$ .

$8 - 2 a - a \cdot 4 - a (- a)$

Multiply $4$ by $- 1$ .

$8 - 2 a - 4 a - a (- a)$

Rewrite using the commutative property of multiplication.

$8 - 2 a - 4 a - 1 \cdot - 1 a \cdot a$

Multiply $a$ by $a$ by adding the exponents.

Move $a$ .

$8 - 2 a - 4 a - 1 \cdot - 1 (a \cdot a)$

Multiply $a$ by $a$ .

$8 - 2 a - 4 a - 1 \cdot - 1 a^{2}$

$8 - 2 a - 4 a - 1 \cdot - 1 a^{2}$

Multiply $- 1$ by $- 1$ .

$8 - 2 a - 4 a + 1 a^{2}$

Multiply $a^{2}$ by $1$ .

$8 - 2 a - 4 a + a^{2}$

$8 - 2 a - 4 a + a^{2}$

Subtract $4 a$ from $- 2 a$ .

$8 - 6 a + a^{2}$

$8 - 6 a + a^{2}$

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