1. **Problem:** Simplify the expression $2(a - 3) + 29 - 6$. 2. **Formula and rules:** Use the distributive property $a(b + c) = ab + ac$ to expand expressions. 3. **Step-by-step simplification:** - Apply distribution: $2(a - 3) = 2a - 6$ - Substitute back: $2a - 6 + 29 - 6$ - Combine like terms: $-6 + 29 - 6 = 17$ - Final simplified expression: $2a + 17$ 4. **Explanation:** We first distribute the 2 across the terms inside the parentheses. Then, we combine the constant terms by adding and subtracting them to get a single constant. The variable term remains as is. **Final answer:** $2a + 17$