Simplify (x-1)^2-4

${(x - 1)}^{2} - 4$

Step 1

Simplify each term.

Rewrite ${(x - 1)}^{2}$ as $(x - 1) (x - 1)$ .

$(x - 1) (x - 1) - 4$

Expand $(x - 1) (x - 1)$ using the FOIL Method.

Apply the distributive property.

$x (x - 1) - 1 (x - 1) - 4$

Apply the distributive property.

$x \cdot x + x \cdot - 1 - 1 (x - 1) - 4$

Apply the distributive property.

$x \cdot x + x \cdot - 1 - 1 x - 1 \cdot - 1 - 4$

$x \cdot x + x \cdot - 1 - 1 x - 1 \cdot - 1 - 4$

Simplify and combine like terms.

Simplify each term.

Multiply $x$ by $x$ .

$x^{2} + x \cdot - 1 - 1 x - 1 \cdot - 1 - 4$

Move $- 1$ to the left of $x$ .

$x^{2} - 1 \cdot x - 1 x - 1 \cdot - 1 - 4$

Rewrite $- 1 x$ as $- x$ .

$x^{2} - x - 1 x - 1 \cdot - 1 - 4$

Rewrite $- 1 x$ as $- x$ .

$x^{2} - x - x - 1 \cdot - 1 - 4$

Multiply $- 1$ by $- 1$ .

$x^{2} - x - x + 1 - 4$

$x^{2} - x - x + 1 - 4$

Subtract $x$ from $- x$ .

$x^{2} - 2 x + 1 - 4$

$x^{2} - 2 x + 1 - 4$

$x^{2} - 2 x + 1 - 4$

Step 2

Subtract $4$ from $1$ .

$x^{2} - 2 x - 3$

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