AQA Core 4 Algebra

Section 3: The binomial expansion

Solutions to Exercise
1. (i)

2 3
2 3 4
( 2 x )2
( 2 x )3 ...
12
123
2
3
1 4 x 12 x 32 x ...
Valid for 1 2 x 1
1 2 x 2 1 ( 2)( 2 x )

21 x
(ii)

1
2

1 x (1 x )2
21 2 21 21 23 3
x
x ...
12
123
1 21 x 81 x 2 161 x 3 ...
Valid for 1 x 1
1 21 x

(iii)

1
2

1
(1 3 x )1
1 3x

1 2
1 2 3
(3 x )2
(3 x )3 ...
12
123
2
3
1 3 x 9 x 27 x ...
Valid for 1 3 x 1
1 ( 1)(3 x )

31 x

1
3

23 53
2 53 83
( x )2 3
( x )3 ...
12
123
2
3
40
2
5
1 3 x 9 x 81 x ...
Valid for 1 x 1

(iv) 1 x 3 1 ( 23 )( x )
2

2. (i)

1
(3 x )1 3 1(1 31 x )1 31 (1 31 x )1
3 x
1 2 1 2
31 1 ( 1)( 31 x )
( 3 x ) ...
1

1
3

31

1
3

x 19 x 2 ...

x 271 x 2 ...
Valid for 1 31 x 1
3 x 3
1
9

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AQA C4 Algebra 3 Exercise solutions

(ii)

4 3 x (4 3 x )2 4 2 (1 43 x )2 2(1 43 x )2
1
21 3 2
2 1 21 ( 43 x ) 2
( 4 x ) ...
12

2 1 83 x 128 x 2 ...
9

2 43 x 64 x 2 ...
Valid for 1 43 x 1
9

43 x
(iii)

4
3

2x
(2 x )(2 x )1 (2 x ) 2 1(1 21 x )1 21 (2 x )(1 21 x )1
2x
1 2 1 2
21 (2 x ) 1 ( 1)( 21 x )
( 2 x ) ...
12

2
1
1
1
2 (2 x ) 1 2 x 4 x ...
21 (2 x 21 x 2 x 21 x 2 ...)
21 (2 2 x x 2 ...)
1 x 21 x 2 ...
Valid for 1 21 x 1

2 x 2
(iv)

3. (i)

1
1
1x
(1 x )2 (1 2 x ) 2
1 2x
1
1
21
(1 x )2 1 21 ( x ) 2
( x )2 ...
12
2
1
1
1 2 x 8 x ...
1
1 23
(1 2 x ) 2 1 ( 21 )( 2 x ) 2
( 2 x )2 ...
12
2
3
1 x 2 x ...
1x
1 x 23 x 2 21 x 21 x 2 81 x 2 ...
1 2x
1 21 x 78 x 2 ...
First expansion is valid for 1 x 1
Second expansion is valid for 1 2 x 1 21 x
so the whole expansion is valid for 21 x 21 .

1
2

1
1
(1 2 x ) 2
1 2x

1 ( 21 )( 2 x )

21 23
( 2 x )2 ...
12

1 x 23 x 2 ...

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AQA C4 Algebra 3 Exercise solutions

(ii)

1
1
4
0.8
5

(iii) Putting x = 0.1:

(iv) Percentage error

4. (i)

5
5

4
2

1
1 0.1 23 (0.1)2 ...
1 2 0.1
1
1 0.1 0.015 ...
0.8
5
1.115
2
5 2.23
2.23 5
5

100 0.271%

x 5
A
B

( x 1)( x 2) x 1 x 2
x 5 A( x 2) B( x 1)
Putting x 1 6 3 A A 2
Putting x 2 3 3B B 1
x 5
2
1

( x 1)( x 2) x 1 x 2
2( x 1)1 (2 x )1
2(1 x )1 2 1(1 21 x )1
2(1 x )1 21 (1 21 x )1

1 2
1 2 3
( x )2
( x )3 ...
12
123
2
3
1 x x x ...

(1 x )1 1 ( 1)( x )

1 2 1 2 1 2 3 1 3
( 2 x)
( 2 x ) ...
12
123
1 21 x 41 x 2 81 x 3 ...

(1 21 x )1 1 ( 1)( 21 x )

x 5
2(1 x x 2 x 3 ...) 21 (1 21 x 41 x 2 81 x 3 ...)
( x 1)( x 2)
2 2 x 2 x 2 2 x 3 21 41 x 81 x 2 161 x 3 ...
52

7
4

3
x 178 x 2 31
16 x ...

First expansion is valid for 1 x 1

Second expansion is valid for 1 21 x 1 2 x 2
so the whole expansion is valid for 1 x 1 .

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(ii)

7
A
B

(1 2 x )( x 3) 1 2 x x 3
7 A( x 3) B(1 2 x )
Putting x 3 7 7B B 1
Putting x 21 7 72 A A 2
7
2
1

(1 2 x )( x 3) 1 2 x x 3
2(1 2 x )1 (3 x )1

2(1 2 x )1 3 1(1 31 x )1
2(1 2 x )1 31 (1 31 x )1

1 2
1 2 3
( 2 x )2
( 2 x )3 ...
12
123
2
3
1 2 x 4 x 8 x ...

(1 2 x )1 1 ( 1)( 2 x )

1 2 1 2 1 2 3 1 3
( 3 x)
( 3 x ) ...
12
123
1 31 x 19 x 2 271 x 3 ...

(1 21 x )1 1 ( 1)( 31 x )

7
2(1 2 x 4 x 2 8 x 3 ...)
(1 2 x )( x 3)
31 (1 31 x 19 x 2 271 x 3 ...)
2 4 x 8 x 2 16 x 3 31

7
3

35
9

1
9

x 271 x 2 811 x 3 ...

1295
2
3
x 217
27 x 81 x ...

First expansion is valid for 1 2 x 1 21 x 21

Second expansion is valid for 1 31 x 1 3 x 3
so the whole expansion is valid for 21 x 21 .

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