Use the distributive property to simplify the expression.
(A) $\frac{1}{4}(8-12)$

• A. $1$
• B. $-2$
• C. $-1$
• D. $2$

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the expression where the Distributive Property needs to be applied. The Distributive Property states that for any numbers \(a\), \(b\), and \(c\), \(a(b + c) = ab + ac\).
2. Look for terms inside parentheses that are being multiplied by a factor outside the parentheses. For example, in an expression like \(x(y + z)\), \(x\) is multiplied by both \(y\) and \(z\).
3. Apply the Distributive Property by multiplying the term outside the parentheses by each term inside the parentheses separately. Write this as \(a(b + c) = ab + ac\).
4. Simplify each product if possible by performing multiplication or combining like terms.
5. After distributing and simplifying, check if there are any like terms that can be combined to write the expression in its simplest form.