Basic Algebra Refresher

GRE
Simplifying expressions
Like terms are terms that have the same variables
Examples:

4x and 7x are like terms because their variable x are identical

9xy and 2xy are like terms because their variables xy are identical

x 2y 5, 7x 2y 5 and 13x 2y 5 are like terms because their variables x 2y 5 are identical

When there is no number in front of the variable (called the coefficient), that number is
assumed to be 1
Examples:

x y 5 = 1 x 2y 5

1x

Like terms can be combined, by adding or subtracting coefficients. This process is called simplifying.

4x + 7x

9xy 2xy = 7xy

x 2y 5+ 7x 2y 5 13x 2y 5 = 5x 2y 5

11x

Practice: Simplify the following

Answers:

a) 3 x + 2 x

a) 5x

b) 5 x 2 y x + 9y

b) 4 x + 7 y

c) 3m + 6 2 + m

c) 2m + 4

d)

1
3
x+ x
5
5

e) 5 xy 2 8 xy 2 + xy 2
f)

x 2 y 3 2 x 5 y 7 + 6y 3 x 2 + 5 y 7 x 5

g) x + 6 y + 7 x 5 y 8 x

d)

4
x
5

e) 2xy 2
f) 7 x 2 y 3 + 3 x 5 y 7
g) y

Basic Algebra Refresher

GRE

Multiplying monomials (multiplying one term by another)

Multiply the coefficients and multiply similar variables (remember your exponent laws)
Examples:

( 3 x )( 5 x ) = 15 x
( m )( 4m )( 6m ) = 24m
( 8 n ) ( n ) = 8n
( 7 x y z )( 2 x y z ) = 14 x
2

10

Dont forget that if a variable has no

exponent shown, then the exponent is 1
e.g., x = x 1

15

11

y 11z 4

Practice: Simplify the following

Answers:

a) ( 5 y 3 )( 8y 6 )

a) 40y 9

b) ( 4 j 2k 3 m5 )( 9 j 6 k 4 m )

b) 36 j 8 k 7 m 6

c)

( 4 x y )( x y )( 5 xy )

c) 20x 6 y 11

d)

( x y )( 2 x

d) 10x 12 y 17

e)

( 4 x y ) ( 3 x ) ( 2y z )

y 7 )( 5 y 7 x 5 )
5

Practice: Fill in the blanks

a) ( 9y 5 ) (

) = 18y 8

b) ( 4 x 5 ) ( 2 x )(
c)

) = 40 x 12

) ( 6 x 3 y 2 ) = 24 x 8 y 3

d) ( 10 xyz 2 ) (
e) ( 5 yz )(

) = 30 x 3 y 5 z 2

) = 5wx 2 y 3 z 2

e) 24x 3 y 6 z 2

Answers:
a) ( 9y 5 )( 2y 3 ) = 18y 8
b) ( 4 x 5 ) ( 2 x ) ( 5 x 6 ) = 40 x 12
c) ( 4 x 5 y )( 6 x 3 y 2 ) = 24 x 8 y 3
d) ( 10 xyz 2 )( 3x 2 y 4 ) = 30 x 3 y 5 z 2
e) ( 5 yz ) ( wx 2 y 2 z ) = 5wx 2 y 3 z 2

Basic Algebra Refresher

GRE
Multiplying a polynomial by a monomial
Multiply each term in the polynomial by the monomial in front.
Examples:
5 ( 2 x + 7 ) = 10 x + 35

2 x 3 ( 7 x 2 3 x ) = 14 x 5 6 x 4

The process of multiplying each

term in the parentheses by the
term in front is called expanding

10 ( m 6 2m 5 ) = 10m 6 + 20m 5

7 x ( x 2 + 2 x 5 ) = 7 x 3 14 x 2 + 35 x
4 x 3 y 2 z ( 5 xyz x 3 z 2 ) = 20 x 4 y 3 z 2 4 x 6 y 2 z 3

Practice: Simplify the following

Answers:

a) 3 ( 2y 2 + 4 y 7 )

a)

b) 2 x ( x 3 5 x )

b) 2 x 4 10 x 2

c) 5 x 2 y 6 ( 3 xy x 7 y 2 x 2 )

c) 15 x 3 y 7 + 5 x 9 y 8 + 5 x 4 y 6

d) 6 xy 2 ( 3 + 2 x y 7 )

d) 18 xy 2 12 x 2 y 2 + 6 xy 9

e) 7z 2 ( xz + 2 x 4wyz )

e) 7 xz 3 + 14 xz 2 28wyz 3

Practice: Fill in the blanks

a) 2 x (

) = 4 x 6 + 6 x

6y 2 + 12y 21

Answers:
a) 2 x ( 2 x 5 3 ) = 4 x 6 + 6 x

b) 4 x 3 (

) = 20 x 8 + 16 x 5 12 x 3

b) 4 x 3 ( 5 x 5 + 4 x 2 3 ) = 20 x 8 + 16 x 5 12 x 3

c) 5 x 3 y (

) = 10 x 7 y + 5 x 3 y 2

c)

5 x 3 y ( 2 x 4 + y ) = 10 x 7 y + 5 x 3 y 2

d)

4 xz ( x 3 y + 2yz 3 ) = 4 x 4 yz + 8 xyz 4

d) 4 xz (

) = 4 x 4 yz + 8 xyz 4

Basic Algebra Refresher

GRE
Multiplying two binomials

One by one, multiply a term from one binomial with a term from the other binomial
Multiply terms in the following order Front, Outside, Inside, Last (F.O.I.L.)

( x + 3 )( x + 7 )

( x + 3 )( x + 7 )

( x + 3 )( x + 7 )

( x + 3 )( x + 7 )

First

Outside

Inside

Last

x2

7x

3x

21

Examples:

( x + 3 )( x + 7 ) = x 2 + 7 x + 3 x + 21
= x 2 + 10 x + 21

( 3 x 5 )( 2 x + 1) = 6 x 2 + 3 x 10 x 5
= 6x 2 7x 5

Practice: Expand and simplify the following

( x 2 )( x + 9 ) = x 2 + 9 x 2 x 18
= x 2 + 7 x 18

( 5 x 2 )( 3 x 7 ) = 15 x 2 35 x 6 x + 14
= 15 x 2 41x + 14

Answers:

a)

( x + 6 )( x + 2 )

a) x 2 + 8 x + 12

b)

( 2 x + 1)( x + 5 )

b) 2 x 2 + 11x + 5

c)

( x 4 )( x + 3 )

c) x 2 x 12

d)

( 3 x 5 )( 2 x 1)

d) 6 x 2 13 x + 5

e)

( 3 x + 7 )( x + 1)

e) 3 x 2 + 10 x + 7

f)

( 5 x + 2 )( 5 x 2 )

f) 25 x 2 4

g)

( 4x

g) 8 x 3 + 20 x 2 6 x 15

3) ( 2 x + 5 )