QUADRATICS

KAZIBA Stephen

TAIBAH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

EXPANSION

1 To expand is to remove the brackets from an expression. Thus

in expanded form a(x + 5) = ax + 5a
2 To multiply two brackets, the first bracket is multiplied by
each term in the second bracket
Examples
Remove the brackets and simplify :

1 (x + 5)(x + 3) 7 (a + b)(a − b)
2 (3x + 2)(x − 4) 8 (a + b)2
2a
3 a(3x + 5) − x(a − x )
9 (a − b)2
4 5(x − 3)(3x − 2) 10 (x − x1 )2
5 (x − 5)2 11 (x − x1 )(x + x1 )
ax 2
6 (2x + 3)2 12 a(x − 2 )
QUADRATIC IDENTITIES
(a + b)2 = a2 + 2ab + b 2
(a − b)2 = a2 − 2ab + b 2

Examples
1 Use the result (a + b)2 = a2 + 2ab + b 2 ,to evaluate the
following

1 (102)2 2 (10.3)2 3 (201)2

2 Use the result (a − b)2 = a2 − 2ab + b 2

1 (99)2 2 (9.7)2 3 (91)2

FACTORING BY GROUPING
Summary
To factorise is to write the expression as a product of its
factors. Thus in factorised form 3x 2 + 6x = 3x(x + 2) and
8ab 2 − 12a2 b = 4ab(2b − 3a)
To factorise by grouping, an expression must have four terms
This method of factoring is performed as follows:
Factor out the HCF if any
Group the terms with common factors
Factor each group

Examples
1 Factorize the following expressions completely

1 ah + ak + bh + bk 4 6ah − 3ak + bk − 2bh

2 6mk − 3nk + 2my − ny 5 2ab − 3 + 2a − 3b
3 6x 2 y + 2xy 2 − 27x − 9y 6 2b 3 + 3a3 + 3ab 2 + 2a2 b
THE DIFFERENCE OF TWO SQUARES
The result a2 − b 2 = (a + b)(a − b) is called the difference of
two squares

Examples
1 Show that (x + y )(x − y ) = x 2 − y 2
2 Factorize the following expressions completely

1 p2 − q2 5 9x 2 − 1 9 8x 2 − 72
2 x2 − 9 6 16x 2 − 25y 2 10 x4 − y4
3 x2 − 1 7 3x 2 − 27y 2 11 x4 − 1
4 25x 2 − 16 8 50x 3 − 18xy 2 12 ax 4 − a
Exercise

1 Factorise the following expressions completely

1 a2 − b 2 + 2a + 2b
2 x 3 − 3x 2 − 16x + 48
3 18x 3 + 9x 2 − 2x − 1
4 2p 2 q 3 − pq 3 + pq − 2p 2 q
5 (2x − 9)2 − 25
6 (2x + 5)2 − 81
7 (2x + 1)2 − (x + 5)2

2 Without using a calculator or tables, evaluate:

1 2512 − 2502
2 7.642 − 2.542
3 5.2 × 3.752 − 5.2 × 1.252
4 67.682 − 53.6 × 48.69 − 32.322 + 38.69 × 53.6
FACTORING QUADRATICS
A quadratic expression is written in the form ax 2 + bx + c
The following apply when factoring a quadratic expression
ax 2 + bx + c.
Find two numbers which multiply to give ac and add up to b.
Replace b with the sum of those numbers
Factor the terms by grouping

Examples
1 Factorize the following expressions completely

1 3x 2 + 11x + 6 4 x 2 + 2x − 15 7 x 2 − 5x + 6
2 5x 2 − 13x + 6 5 x 2 + 6x + 9 8 a2 + 2ab + b 2
3 3x 2 − 4x − 15 6 x 2 − 4x + 3 9 3x 2 − 4xy + y 2
SOLVING QUADRATIC BY FACTORING
A quadratic equation is written in the form ax 2 + bx + c = 0
A quadratic equation has two solutions often called the roots
of the equation. It is possible for the two solutions to be the
same
This method uses the fact that if mn = 0, then m = 0 orn = 0
Examples
1 Solve the following equations:

1 3x 2 + 11x + 6 = 0 5 2x 2 + 7x + 6 = 0
2 x 2 − 7x + 10 = 0 6 x 2 − 5x = 0
3 y 2 − 3y − 40 = 0 7 5x 2 = 3x
4 x 2 − 3x − 40 = 0 8 x + 2 = x3

2 Factorise 25x 2 − 64, hence solve the equation 25x 2 − 64 = 0

3 Factorise (x 2 − 5x)2 − 36, hence solve the equation
(x 2 − 5x)2 − 36 = 0
 3x 2 + 11x + 6 = 0
3x 2 + (9 + 2)x + 6 = 0
3x 2 + 9x + 2x + 6 = 0
3x(x + 3) + 2(x + 3) = 0
(x + 3)(3x + 2) = 0
Either
x +3=0
x +3−3=0−3
x = −3
OR
3x + 2 = 0
3x = −2
−2
x=
3
SOLVING QUADRATIC BY COMPLETING SQUARES

STEPS
Take c to the RHS of the equation
Divide through by a
b 2
Add ( 2a ) on both sides
b 2
Make the LHS a perfect square i.e (x + 2a )
Example
Solve the equation x 2 + 10x + 21 = 0 by the method of
completing squares

x 2 + 10x + 21 = 0
x 2 + 10x = −21
a=1 ,b=10
b 10
( )=( ) = 25
2a 2
x 2 + 10x + 25 = −21 + 25
(x + 5)2 = 4
q √
(x + 5)2 = 4
x + 5 = ±2
Either
x +5=2