Simplify (a-2)(a+2)

$(a - 2) (a + 2)$

Step 1

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

Apply the distributive property.

$a (a + 2) - 2 (a + 2)$

Apply the distributive property.

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

Apply the distributive property.

$a \cdot a + a \cdot 2 - 2 a - 2 \cdot 2$

Step 2

Simplify terms.

Combine the opposite terms in $a \cdot a + a \cdot 2 - 2 a - 2 \cdot 2$ .

Reorder the factors in the terms $a \cdot 2$ and $- 2 a$ .

$a \cdot a + 2 a - 2 a - 2 \cdot 2$

Subtract $2 a$ from $2 a$ .

$a \cdot a + 0 - 2 \cdot 2$

Add $a \cdot a$ and $0$ .

$a \cdot a - 2 \cdot 2$

Simplify each term.

Multiply $a$ by $a$ .

$a^{2} - 2 \cdot 2$

Multiply $- 2$ by $2$ .

$a^{2} - 4$