Context: The product $(3x + 5)(8x - 7)$ is to be rewritten in the form $ax^2 + bx + c$. The question asks for $a + b$, so only the quadratic and linear coefficients matter.

Answer: 43

Why: Expand term by term: $3x \cdot 8x = 24x^2$, $3x \cdot (-7) = -21x$, $5 \cdot 8x = 40x$, and $5 \cdot (-7) = -35$. Combining the two middle terms gives $-21x + 40x = 19x$, so the product is $24x^2 + 19x - 35$. That makes $a = 24$ and $b = 19$, so $a + b = 43$.

Verification: At $x = 1$ the original product is $(8)(1) = 8$, and the expanded form gives $24 + 19 - 35 = 8$ as well.

Common slips: Including the constant and answering $a + b + c = -11$; mis-signing the middle terms as $-21x - 40x = -61x$, which would give $-37$; or reporting the product $ab$ instead of the sum.