This week in math class, I learned how to multiply binomials using the double distributive property. A binomial is an expression with two terms, such as (x+1) or (2x−4). To multiply two binomials, we distribute each term in the first binomial to each term in the second binomial, then combine like terms to arrive at the final answer.
Example 1
Problem: Multiply .
Steps:
- Multiply by :
x(x+3)=x^2+3x
- Multiply by (x+3):
1(x+3)=x+3
- Combine all the terms:
x^2+3x+x+3=x^2+4x+3
so, (x+1)(x+3) = x^2 + 4x.
Example 2
Problem: Multiply .
Steps:
- Multiply by (x−2):
2x(x−2)=2x^2−4x
- Multiply by :
5(x−2)=5x−10
- Combine all the terms:
2x^2−4x+5x−10=2x^2+x−10
So, (2x+5)(x−2) = 2x^2+x−10
Multiplying binomials using the double distributive property involves distributing each term and combining like terms, which effectively simplifies expressions.