Simplify (a-5)(a+5)

$(a - 5) (a + 5)$

Step 1

Expand $(a - 5) (a + 5)$ using the FOIL Method.

Apply the distributive property.

$a (a + 5) - 5 (a + 5)$

Apply the distributive property.

$a \cdot a + a \cdot 5 - 5 (a + 5)$

Apply the distributive property.

$a \cdot a + a \cdot 5 - 5 a - 5 \cdot 5$

Step 2

Simplify terms.

Combine the opposite terms in $a \cdot a + a \cdot 5 - 5 a - 5 \cdot 5$ .

Reorder the factors in the terms $a \cdot 5$ and $- 5 a$ .

$a \cdot a + 5 a - 5 a - 5 \cdot 5$

Subtract $5 a$ from $5 a$ .

$a \cdot a + 0 - 5 \cdot 5$

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

$a \cdot a - 5 \cdot 5$

Simplify each term.

Multiply $a$ by $a$ .

$a^{2} - 5 \cdot 5$

Multiply $- 5$ by $5$ .

$a^{2} - 25$