If 2(x – 5) = –11, then x = ?

First you distribute. so, 2(x - 5) = - 11
so since you distributed it would be, 2x - 10 = -11 
then you add 10 to both sides, so now its 2x=-1
now we divide,  = 
so now you get : x = -0.5
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Lets check. 
2(-0.5 - 5) = -11
so first we distribute, 
-1 - 10 = -11
does -1 - 10 = -11?? Yup!! So x= -0.5 is your answer, i hope i helped! :D

Step 2 of 2 : If she wants to include all 4 poetry books, how many different

reading schedules are possible? Express your answer in scientific notation

rounding to the hundredths place.

She wants to pick 10 books. She picks all 4 poetry books and therefore needs

to pick 6 more from the 5+5+7=17 other (non-poetry) books.

So she can pick the remaining 6 (non-poetry) books in (17 CHOOSE 6) = 17C6

= 12376 ways.

For each of the 12376 ways to pick the 10 books to read, she can arrange the

order to read them in -- in (10 POSITION 10)=10P10=10!=3628800 ways.

(17C6)(10!)=12376*3628800 = 4.49×1010