If a = 0 and b = 0, what is 2a^2 + 3b?

• A. 0
• B. 2
• C. 3
• D. 6

Answer: (A)

Evaluating expressions by substitution and understanding how zeros behave in multiplication and exponents. When a = 0, a^2 means 0 squared, which is 0; then 2a^2 is 2 times 0, still 0. When b = 0, 3b is 3 times 0, which is also 0. Adding the two results, 0 + 0, gives 0. If any variable is zero, terms involving that variable collapse to zero, and the whole expression reflects that immediately.