Simplify (7x-2)(7x+2)

$(7 x - 2) (7 x + 2)$

Step 1

Expand $(7 x - 2) (7 x + 2)$ using the FOIL Method.

Apply the distributive property.

$7 x (7 x + 2) - 2 (7 x + 2)$

Apply the distributive property.

$7 x (7 x) + 7 x \cdot 2 - 2 (7 x + 2)$

Apply the distributive property.

$7 x (7 x) + 7 x \cdot 2 - 2 (7 x) - 2 \cdot 2$

Step 2

Simplify terms.

Combine the opposite terms in $7 x (7 x) + 7 x \cdot 2 - 2 (7 x) - 2 \cdot 2$ .

Reorder the factors in the terms $7 x \cdot 2$ and $- 2 (7 x)$ .

$7 x (7 x) + 2 \cdot 7 x - 2 \cdot 7 x - 2 \cdot 2$

Subtract $2 \cdot 7 x$ from $2 \cdot 7 x$ .

$7 x (7 x) + 0 - 2 \cdot 2$

Add $7 x (7 x)$ and $0$ .

$7 x (7 x) - 2 \cdot 2$

Simplify each term.

Rewrite using the commutative property of multiplication.

$7 \cdot 7 x \cdot x - 2 \cdot 2$

Multiply $x$ by $x$ by adding the exponents.

Move $x$ .

$7 \cdot 7 (x \cdot x) - 2 \cdot 2$

Multiply $x$ by $x$ .

$7 \cdot 7 x^{2} - 2 \cdot 2$

Multiply $7$ by $7$ .

$49 x^{2} - 2 \cdot 2$

Multiply $- 2$ by $2$ .

$49 x^{2} - 4$