Evaluate the expression: –(31 + 2) + 72 – (–5)2.

a. 41
b. –40
c. –9
d. –5

 14

Step-by-step explanation:

Order of operations rules require that we do any work inside parentheses first.  Thus,

–(31 + 2) + 72 – (–5)^2

becomes:

     -33    + 72 -  25, or

               14

Important:  Please use " ^ " to denote exponentiation; (-5)2 is incorrect, whereas (-5)^2 or (-5)² is correct.

use distributive property on all like terms and change your signs if you have a double negative or if you have positive/negative