1. **State the problem:** Find the product of the functions $c(x) = -2x + 5$ and $a(x) = x^2 - 4$, i.e., compute $(c \cdot a)(x) = c(x) \times a(x)$. 2. **Write the expression:** $$(c \cdot a)(x) = (-2x + 5)(x^2 - 4)$$ 3. **Use the distributive property (FOIL) to expand:** $$= (-2x)(x^2) + (-2x)(-4) + 5(x^2) + 5(-4)$$ 4. **Calculate each term:** $$= -2x^3 + 8x + 5x^2 - 20$$ 5. **Rearrange terms in descending powers of $x$:** $$= -2x^3 + 5x^2 + 8x - 20$$ 6. **Final answer:** $$(c \cdot a)(x) = -2x^3 + 5x^2 + 8x - 20$$ This is a polynomial in simplest form.