Simplify (a-8)(a+8)

$(a - 8) (a + 8)$

Step 1

Expand $(a - 8) (a + 8)$ using the FOIL Method.

Apply the distributive property.

$a (a + 8) - 8 (a + 8)$

Apply the distributive property.

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

Apply the distributive property.

$a \cdot a + a \cdot 8 - 8 a - 8 \cdot 8$

Step 2

Simplify terms.

Combine the opposite terms in $a \cdot a + a \cdot 8 - 8 a - 8 \cdot 8$ .

Reorder the factors in the terms $a \cdot 8$ and $- 8 a$ .

$a \cdot a + 8 a - 8 a - 8 \cdot 8$

Subtract $8 a$ from $8 a$ .

$a \cdot a + 0 - 8 \cdot 8$

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

$a \cdot a - 8 \cdot 8$

Simplify each term.

Multiply $a$ by $a$ .

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

Multiply $- 8$ by $8$ .

$a^{2} - 64$