Simplify (3s+4)(3s-4)

$(3 s + 4) (3 s - 4)$

Step 1

Expand $(3 s + 4) (3 s - 4)$ using the FOIL Method.

Apply the distributive property.

$3 s (3 s - 4) + 4 (3 s - 4)$

Apply the distributive property.

$3 s (3 s) + 3 s \cdot - 4 + 4 (3 s - 4)$

Apply the distributive property.

$3 s (3 s) + 3 s \cdot - 4 + 4 (3 s) + 4 \cdot - 4$

Step 2

Simplify and combine like terms.

Simplify each term.

Rewrite using the commutative property of multiplication.

$3 \cdot 3 s \cdot s + 3 s \cdot - 4 + 4 (3 s) + 4 \cdot - 4$

Multiply $s$ by $s$ by adding the exponents.

Move $s$ .

$3 \cdot 3 (s \cdot s) + 3 s \cdot - 4 + 4 (3 s) + 4 \cdot - 4$

Multiply $s$ by $s$ .

$3 \cdot 3 s^{2} + 3 s \cdot - 4 + 4 (3 s) + 4 \cdot - 4$

Multiply $3$ by $3$ .

$9 s^{2} + 3 s \cdot - 4 + 4 (3 s) + 4 \cdot - 4$

Multiply $- 4$ by $3$ .

$9 s^{2} - 12 s + 4 (3 s) + 4 \cdot - 4$

Multiply $3$ by $4$ .

$9 s^{2} - 12 s + 12 s + 4 \cdot - 4$

Multiply $4$ by $- 4$ .

$9 s^{2} - 12 s + 12 s - 16$

Add $- 12 s$ and $12 s$ .

$9 s^{2} + 0 - 16$

Add $9 s^{2}$ and $0$ .

$9 s^{2} - 16$