# I learned how to FOIL this week

FOIL stands for:

First term in each bracket

Outside terms

Inside terms

Last term in each bracket

Foiling is just one method you can use to to multiply polynomials.  You can also use Area Diagrams and the distributive property…

So for example if we have:

(x+4)(x+7) using the foil method you would first multiply the First term in each bracket which in this case would be x $\cdot$ x

which is  $x^2$

Next you would multiply the Outside terms which would be the x in the first bracket so x $\cdot$ 7 Now so far we have $x^2$ + 7x

Then you multiply the Inside terms which would be 4 $\cdot$ x ( the x in the second bracket ) = 4x

Lastly you multiply the Last term in each bracket so looking at our equation (x+4)(x+7) our last terms are 4 $\cdot$ 7 = 28

Now you are done foiling, now all you have to do is combine like terms $2^2$ + 7x + 4x +28 The only like terms here are 7x and 4x so you add them to get 11x

Your final answer is $2^2$ + 11x + 28

one thing to always remember about foiling is that  *YOU NEVER MULTIPLY TERMS WITHIN THE SAME BRACKET *

So in (2x+7)(4x-7) you will never multiply 2x by 7 EVER because you never multiply terms in the same brackets.