Multiplication and Division of Algebraic Expressions

In performing multiplication and division of algebraic expressions it is important to first multiply the number,
then the letters. When you have like terms in the expression, you simplify them.

Multiplication and Division of Algebraic Expressions by a Number (constant).

Example 1

Simplify:

a) 2×t b) m×2 c) 2t×5

Solution

a) 2 ×t=2t b) m ×2=2m c) 2t×5=10t

The convention is to write the number first then the letters.

In algebraic expression, division can be expressed as . . Therefore when dividing algebraic

expressions, it is written in the form even when it is given as a ÷ b.
This is done to make calculation easier.

Example 1

Simplify the following:

a) 2x ÷ 2 b) 4m ÷ 3 c) (3x+5) ÷ 5

Solution

Multiplication and Division of Algebraic Expressions by a Number and a Letter

It is important to first group the numbers with the same letter together and apply the basic operating rules of
indices. After multiplication, the letters are written in alphabetical order.

To simplify with exponents, it is often simpler to work directly from the definition and meaning of exponents.
For instance:

Simplify x6 × x5

Just thought about what exponents mean. The ” x6 ”

means “six copies of x multiplied together”, and the ” x5 ” means “five copies of x multiplied together”. So if I
multiply those two expressions together, I will get eleven copies of x multiplied together. That is:

x6 × x5 = (x6)(x5)
= (xxxxxx)(xxxxx) (6 times, and then 5 times)
= xxxxxxxxxxx (11 times)
= x11

Thus: x6 × x5 =x(6+5)= x11

Simplify

Example 1

Simplify the following:

1. a) 2a2 x 5a3 b) y x 4y x 3y c) 3c2×3c3

Solution 1

a) 2a2×5a3 Multiply the same variable using powers.

= (2×5)a(2+3) The indices are added together

=10a5

b) y x 4y x 3y

= (1×4×3)y (1+1+1)

=12y3

Note that, y is the same as 1y.

c) 3c2×3c3

=3×3c (2+3)

=9c5

d) (8d3×2d5) ÷4d2 Deal with the bracket first.

Example 2

a) 2x ×3y × 5z b) –3x × 2y
Solution

a) 2x ×3y × 5z

2x × 3y × 5z multiply the numbers, and rewrite the letters

= (2×3× 5)xyz

= 30xyz

b) –3x × 2y

–3x × 2y multiple the number and multiple the letters

= (–3×2)x × y

= –6xy

Therefore –3x × 2y=–6xy

Example 3

Simplify the following:

a) 2y x 6e x 3zy b) 3xy2 × 4x3y4

Solution

a) 2y x 6e x 3zy

= (2×6×3)y × y × e × z always arrange letters in alphabetical order

= 36ey2z

b) 3xy2 × 4x3y4

=3×4x×x3×y2×y4

=(3×4) x(1+3)y(2+4) remember x=x1

=12x4y6

Therefore 3xy2 × 4x3y4=12x4y6

When you have the same variable appearing more than once, you raise the variable to the number of
times the variable appears.

Example 1

Simplify the following:

Solution

Don’t forget that the “7” and the “3” are just numbers. Since 3 doesn’t go evenly into 7, we can’t cancel the
numbers. The 7/3 stays as it is. For the variables, we have three extra copies of x on top, so the answer is:

Numbers cancel out numbers and like variables also cancel out. For the above example, s2 cancels out s2 out of
s3 leaving one “s”.

Like terms can be cancelled out, one of x the will be cancelled from the x2 leaving only one x. The answer
therefore becomes

Exercise 1

Simplify the following expressions.

Exercise 2

Try the following:

1. 6 × p × y
2. 24 × z × t
3. 2 × 4y × 8t
4. 20ab × 10bc
5. 12pq × 4rs
6. 23m × 3t
7. 11m x 21k x 6g
8. 2rs × 45bh
9. 12l × 4k × 3u
10. 36mn x 2
11. 5a2 x 13a4
12. 23z2 x 5t
13. a2 x m2 x t3
14. 15b x 13bd x 2h
15. 17pg x 3p3 x 2q
16. 25rs x 15qt
17. 10 z x 21ab2
18. 30g2 x 40mn2
19. 55abc x 2m2np2
20. 45wy × 8mn × xm

Exercise 3

Simplify the following algebraic expression: