Topic: Distributive property with fractions

Question: Use the distributive property to expand the expression.

2x 5x x 2
yz ( 3y z)
+

Answer choices:

10x 2 2x 3
A + 2
3y 2 z yz

10x 2x 3
B + 2
3y 2 yz

10x 2 2x 3
C + 2
3yz yz

10x 2 2x 2
D + 2
3y 2 yz

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Solution: A

Multiply each term in the parentheses by 2x /yz.

2x 5x x 2
yz ( 3y z)
+

( yz 3y ) ( yz z )
2x 5x 2x x 2
⋅ + ⋅

10x 2 2x 3
+ 2
3y 2 z yz

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Topic: Distributive property with fractions

Question: Use the distributive property to expand this expression.

b 2 x 2 bx 2
( a ) a
abx − 3

Answer choices:
3 4
2 b x
A bx − 3
a
3 4
b x
B b2x2 + 4
a

2 3 b 3x 4
C b x − 4
a

3 b2x2
D bx − 4
a

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Solution: C

Rewrite abx as abx /1.

b 2 x 2 bx 2
( a ) a
abx − 3

abx b 2 x 2 bx 2
( 1 a ) a
− 3

Multiply each term in the parentheses by bx 2 /a.

bx 2 abx bx 2 b 2 x 2
( a 1 ) ( a a )
⋅ − ⋅ 3

ab 2 x 3 b 3 x 4
− 4
a a

Cancel the a in the top and bottom of the first term.

3 4
b x
b2x3 − 4
a

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Topic: Distributive property with fractions

Question: Use the distributive property to expand this expression.

( )
pb 2s pj
− +r
t 2 t 3t 2

Answer choices:

2pbs p 2bj pbr

A − 4 − 2
t 3 3t t

2pbs p 2bj pbr

B − 4 + 2
t 3 3t t

2pbs 2pbj pbr

C − 4 + 2
t3 3t t

2pbs 2pbj pbr

D − 3 + 2
t3 3t t

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Solution: B

To simplify

( )
pb 2s pj
− +r
t 2 t 3t 2

Rewrite r as r/1.

t2 ( t 3t 2 1 )
pb 2s pj r
− +

Multiply the three terms in parentheses by pb/t 2.

pb 2s pb pj pb r
⋅ − ⋅ + ⋅
t 2 t t 2 3t 2 t 2 1

2pbs p 2bj pbr

− 4 + 2
t3 3t t

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