To complete the equation 4x - 8 = 4( _ ), divide the entire equation by 4, which simplifies to x - 2, revealing that the correct expression is (a) x - 2.
We need to find the correct expression to fill in the blank in the equation 4x - 8 = 4( _ ). The goal is to match the left side of the equation to an expanded form of the right side. To find the correct expression, we divide the entire equation by 4:
4x/4 - 8/4 = (4/_)/4
x - 2 = _
Therefore, the correct expression to complete the equation is (a) x - 2.