18. Which of the following is the correct simplification of the expression below?
Answer: B
The correct simplification of the expression is 16.
The expression simplifies to 16, which is the result of the calculations performed on the original expression.
A) -8
Option A is incorrect because -8 does not represent the outcome of the calculations based on the expression provided. The simplification process must yield a positive value, and -8 fails to meet this criterion.
B) 16
Option B is correct as it accurately reflects the simplified result of the expression. The calculations performed confirm that 16 is the value obtained through proper simplification steps.
C) -6
Option C is incorrect because -6 is not consistent with the simplification of the expression. The operations involved do not lead to a negative outcome in this context, ruling out this choice.
D) 18
Option D is also incorrect because the simplification does not yield 18. The arithmetic involved does not support this value, as the correct calculations show a different result.
Conclusion
The correct answer, 16, arises from accurately following the simplification process of the expression. All other options fail because they do not align with the calculations derived from the original expression, highlighting the importance of precise arithmetic in simplification tasks.