Leonard did this work to solve an equation. Did he make an error? Leonard did not make an error. Leonard made an error because multiplying -5 by -7 equals 35. Leonard made an error because he should have simplified inside the parentheses first

Leonard made an error because he should have simplified inside the parentheses first.

When solving an equation, it’s crucial to simplify expressions fully before applying operations like multiplication or addition. This ensures that all terms are correctly accounted for, leading to an accurate solution. Always remember to prioritize operations according to the order of operations (parentheses, exponents, multiplication and division from left to right, addition and subtraction from left to right).