Meritus Academy MCu9 - Class 2 Notes

Chapter 2 Polynomials (2)

1. The Distributive Property

Distributive Properties
a(b + c) = ab + ac or (b + c)a = ba + ca

In other words, when you have a term being multiplied times two or more terms that are being
added (or subtracted) in a ( ), multiply the outside term times EVERY term on the inside.

Remember terms are separated by + and -.

This idea can be extended to more than two terms in the ( ).

Example 1: Use the distributive property to write 2(x - y) without parenthesis.

Multiplying every term on the inside of the ( ) by 2 we get:
2( x − y) = 2( x) − 2( y) = 2 x − 2 y

Example 2: Use the distributive property to find the product of 3(2a + 3b + 4c).

As mentioned above, you can extend the distributive property to as many terms as are inside the
( ). The basic idea is that you multiply the outside term times EVERY term on the inside.
3(2a + 3b + 4c) = 3(2a) + 3(3b) + 3(4c) = 6a + 9b + 12c
Example 3: Simplify the expression −(5 x + 7) .
−(5 x + 7) = (−1)(5 x + 7) = (−1)(5 x) + (−1)(7) = −5 x − 7
Basically, when you have a negative sign in front of a ( ), like this example, you can think of it as
taking a -1 times the ( ). What you end up doing is taking the opposite of every term in the ( ).

Example 4: Simplify the expression 2(6 x − 5) − 3(5 x + 4) .

Let's first apply the distributive property and see what we get:
2(6 x − 5) − 3(5 x + 4) = 2(6 x) − 2(5) − 3(5 x) − 3(4) = 12 x −10 −15 x −12

Regrouping and combining like terms we get: 12 x − 10 − 15 x − 12 = 12 x − 15 x − 10 − 12 = −3x − 22

2. Multiplying Polynomials

(Monomial)(Monomial)
In this case, there is only one term in each polynomial. You simply multiply the two terms
together.

Example 1: Find the following product (−7 x )(5 x ) .

5 3

(−7 x5 )(5x3 ) = (−7)(5)( x5  x3 ) = −35x8

1
Meritus Academy MCu9 - Class 2 Notes

(Monomial)(Polynomial)
In this case, there is only one term in one polynomial and more than one term in the other. You
need to distribute the monomial to EVERY term of the other polynomial.

Example 2: Find the following product −2a(5ab + 3a 2b2 + 7a3b3 ) .

−2a(5ab + 3a 2b2 + 7a3b3 ) = −2a(5ab) − 2a(3a 2b2 ) − 2a(7a3b3 ) = −10a 2b − 6a3b2 −14a 4b3

(Binomial)(Binomial)
In this case, both polynomials have two terms. You need to distribute both terms of one
polynomial times both terms of the other polynomial.
One way to keep track of your distributive property is to use the FOIL method.

Note that this method only works on (Binomial)(Binomial).

Example 3: Find the following product (3x + 5)(2 x − 7) .

(3x + 5)(2 x − 7)
= (3x)(2 x) + (3x)(−7) + (5)(2 x) + 5(−7) = 6 x 2 − 21x + 10 x − 35 = 6 x 2 −11x − 35

(Polynomial)(Polynomial)
As mentioned above, use the distributive property until every term of one polynomial is
multiplied times every term of the other polynomial. Make sure that you simplify your answer
by combining any like terms.

Example 4: Find the following product (3 y − 1)(2 y 2 + 5 y − 8) .

(3 y − 1)(2 y 2 + 5 y − 8) = (3 y)(2 y 2 ) + (3 y)(5 y) + (3 y)(−8) − (1)(2 y 2 ) − (1)(5 y) − (1)( −8)
= 6 y + 15 y − 24 y − 2 y − 5 y + 8
3 2 2

= 6 y + 13 y − 29 y + 8
3 2

Practice: Simplify.

a) 2a3(4a2 – a) b) (2x – 3)(-5x – 9) c) -(x – 1)(2x2 – x + 3)

2
Meritus Academy MCu9 - Class 2 Notes

3. Powers of Binomials

The square of a binomial

(x + 5)² = (x + 5)(x + 5) = x² + 10x + 25.

x² + 10x + 25 is called a perfect square trinomial. It is the square of a binomial.

To see what happens when we square any binomial, let us square (a + b):
(a + b)² = (a + b)(a + b) = a² + ab + ab + b² = a² + 2ab + b²

The square of any binomial produces the following three terms:

1. The square of the first term of the binomial: a²
2. Twice the product of the two terms: 2ab
3. The square of the second term: b²

The square of every binomial -- every perfect square trinomial -- has that form: a² + 2ab + b².

Note: If the binomial has a minus sign, then the minus sign appears in the middle term of the
trinomial.

Therefore, using the double sign ± ("plus or minus"), we can state the rule as follows:

(a ± b)² = a² ± 2ab + b²

This means: If the binomial is a + b, then the middle term will be +2ab; but if the binomial is a −
b, then the middle term will be −2ab

Example 1: Square the binomial (x + 6).

(x + 6)² = x² + 12x + 36
1. x² is the square of x.
2. 12x is twice the product of x· 6. (x· 6 = 6x. Twice that is 12x.)
3. 36 is the square of 6.

Example 2: Find the following product (3 y − 2) .

2

(3 y − 2)2 → (3 y − 2)(3 y − 2) Or use the Perfect Square formula:

(3y – 2)2
= (3 y)(3 y) + (3 y)(−2) + (−2)(3 y) + ( −2)( −2) = (3y)2 – 2(3y)(2) + (2)2
= 9y − 6y − 6y + 4
2
= 9y2 – 12y + 4

= 9 y − 12 y + 4
2

Practice: a) (x + 8)2 b) (2s – 8t)2

3
Meritus Academy MCu9 - Class 2 Notes

Equations (1)

1. Equation - Two expressions set equal to each other.

Linear Equation in One Variable - An equation that can be written in the form ax + b = c
where a, b, and c are constants.

Note that the exponent on the variable of a linear equation is always 1.

The following is an example of a linear equation: 3x - 4 = 5

Solution - A value, such that, when you replace the variable with it, it makes the equation true.
(The left side comes out equal to the right side)

Solution Set - Set of all solutions

Solving a Linear Equation in General - Get the variable you are solving for alone on one side and
everything else on the other side using INVERSE operations.

2. Solving Equations Using Addition and Subtraction

Addition and Subtraction Properties of Equality

If a = b, then a + c = b + c If a = b, then a - c = b – c

In other words, if two expressions are equal to each other and you add or subtract the exact same thing
to both sides, the two sides will remain equal.

Note that addition and subtraction are inverse operations of each other.
For example, if you have a number that is being added that you need to move to the other side of the
equation, then you would subtract it from both sides of that equation.

3 1
Example 2: Solve the equation y + = .
Example 1: Solve the equation . 4 2

4
Meritus Academy MCu9 - Class 2 Notes

3. Solving Equations Using Division and Multiplication

Multiplication and Division Properties of Equality

If a = b, then a(c) = b(c) If a = b, then a/c = b/c where c is not equal to 0.

In other words, if two expressions are equal to each other and you multiply or divide (except for 0) the
exact same constant to both sides, the two sides will remain equal.

Note that multiplication and division are inverse operations of each other.
For example, if you have a number that is being multiplied that you need to move to the other side of the
equation, then you would divide it from both sides of that equation.

x Example 2: Solve the equation 5 x = 7 .

Example 1: Solve the equation =5
2
5x = 7
5x 7
=
5 5
7
x=
5

3
Example 3: Solve the equation 9 = − a
2

Note that it doesn’t matter what side the variable is on. - 6 = a means the same thing as a = - 6.
But usually we write the variable on the left hand side, and the solution on the right: a = - 6

The examples above were using only one property at a time to help you understand the different
properties that we use to solve equations. However, most times, we have to use several properties to get
the job done. The following is a strategy that you can use to help you solve linear equations that are a
little bit more involved.

4. Strategy for Solving a Linear Equation

Note that your teacher or the book you are using may have worded these steps a little differently than I
do, but it all boils down to the same concept - get your variable on one side and everything else on the
other using inverse operations.

5
Meritus Academy MCu9 - Class 2 Notes

Step 1: Simplify each side, if needed.

This would involve things like removing ( ), removing fractions, removing decimals, and adding like
terms.
To remove ( ): Just use the distributive property
To remove fractions: Since fractions are another way to write division, and the inverse of divide is to
multiply, you remove fractions by multiplying both sides by the LCD of all of your fractions.

Step 2: Use Add./Sub. Properties to move the variable term to one side and all other terms to the other
side.

Step 3: Use Mult./Div. Properties to remove any values that are in front of the variable.

Step 4: Check your answer.

What it boils down to is that you want to get the variable you are solving for alone on one side and
everything else on the other side using INVERSE operations.

Example 1: Solve the equation .

Be careful going from line 4 to line 5. Yes, there is a negative sign. But, the operation between the -3
and x is multiplication not subtraction. So if you were to add 3 to both sides you would have ended up
with -3x + 3 instead of the desired x.
If you put 1 back in for x in the original problem you will see that 1 is the solution.

Example 2: Solve the equation .

If you put -2 back in for x in the original problem you will see that -2 is the solution we are looking for.

6
Meritus Academy MCu9 - Class 2 Notes

Example 3: Solve the equation .

If you put 2 back in for x in the original problem you will see that 2 is the solution.

Perform a formal check for Example 6:

LS = 5x – 2 + 4x RS = 2x + 12
= 5(2) – 2 + 4(2) = 2(2) + 12
= 16 = 16

Therefore LS = RS.

Example 4: Solve the equation .

If you put 3/2 back in for y in the original problem you will see that 3/2 is the solution we are looking
for.