WOODBROOK SECONDARY SCHOOL

MATHEMATICS
EXPANSIONS
FORM 4

Consider the distributive law: 𝑎𝑏 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑠 𝑎 × 𝑏

𝑎(𝑏 + 𝑐) = 𝑎𝑏 + 𝑎𝑐 𝑎𝑐 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑠 𝑎 × 𝑐

Observe that on the LHS, there is brackets present however on the RHS the brackets are
removed.
Expanding a bracket means removing the bracket by multiplying the term outside the
bracket by EACH term inside the bracket.

We get the same answer when we:

1. multiply a number by a group of numbers added together, or

2. do each multiply separately then add them

The distributive law allows the following to happen:

Another way to look at this 3

rows by 6 columns. But there are
2 blue columns and 4 yellow
columns. So this can be written
as 3 rows by 2 blue columns and
3 rows by 4 yellow columns.
3 lots of (2+4) is the same as 3 lots of 2 plus 3 lots of 4

So, the 3× can be "distributed" across the 2+4, into 3×2 and 3×4

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 WOODBROOK SECONDARY SCHOOL
MATHEMATICS
EXPANSIONS
FORM 4

In Algebra putting two things next to each other usually means to multiply.

So 3(𝑎 + 𝑏) means to multiply 3 by 𝑎 + 𝑏 = 3𝑎 + 3𝑏

Ex. 3(𝑥 + 6) = 3 × 𝑥 + 3 × 6

= 3𝑥 + 18

-3
Ex. −3(𝑎 − 5) = (−3)𝑎 + (−3)(−5)

= −3𝑎 + 15 +a -5
-3a +15

+a
Ex. 𝑎(2 − 𝑏 + 𝑐) = 2(𝑎) + 𝑎(−𝑏) + 𝑎(𝑐)
=

Ex. −2(𝑎 − 4𝑏) =

-2
=

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 WOODBROOK SECONDARY SCHOOL
MATHEMATICS
EXPANSIONS
FORM 4

Expand the following:

1. −5(2𝑥 − 4𝑦)

2. 7𝑥(3𝑦 − 4𝑧 + 2)

3. −3𝑎(1 − 2𝑏 + 5𝑐)

4. 𝑦(1 − 3𝑥) + 𝑥(3𝑦 − 2)

5. 𝑎(4 − 2𝑏) − 𝑏(3𝑎 + 2)

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 WOODBROOK SECONDARY SCHOOL
MATHEMATICS
EXPANSIONS
FORM 4

To expand a double bracket, the distributive law is applied twice or the following general results

can be used:

1. (𝑥 + 𝑎)(𝑥 + 𝑏) = 𝑥 2 + (𝑎 + 𝑏)𝑥 + 𝑎𝑏

2. (𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏)2 = (𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏)(𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏) = 𝑎2 𝑥 2 + 2𝑎𝑏𝑥 + 𝑏 2

(𝑥 + 𝑏)2 = (𝑥 + 𝑏)(𝑥 + 𝑏) = 𝑥 2 + 2𝑏𝑥 + 𝑏 2 When the value of a is 1

3. (𝑎𝑥 − 𝑏)2 = (𝑎𝑥 − 𝑏)(𝑎𝑥 − 𝑏) = 𝑎2 𝑥 2 − 2𝑎𝑏𝑥 + 𝑏 2

(𝑥 − 𝑏)2 = (𝑥 − 𝑏)(𝑥 − 𝑏) = 𝑥 2 − 2𝑏𝑥 + 𝑏 2 When the value of a is 1

(𝑥 + 2)(𝑥 + 3)
+𝑥 +2
Ex. = 𝑥(𝑥 + 3) + 2(𝑥 + 3)

= 𝑥 2 + 3𝑥 + 2𝑥 + 6 +𝑥 + 3 +𝑥 + 3
The coefficient of 𝑥 is 5
which is the sum of 2 +𝑥 2 +3𝑥 +2𝑥 +6
2
and 3. The constant = 𝑥 + 5𝑥 + 6
term, 6, is the product of
2 and 3.

Ex. (𝑥 − 1)(𝑥 + 4) = 𝑥 2 + (−1 + 4)𝑥 + 4(−1)

+𝑥 −1
Using the general rule,
= 𝑥 2 + 3𝑥 − 4
the coefficient of 𝑥 is
the sum of -1 and +4
and the constant term is
the product of -1 and 4

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 WOODBROOK SECONDARY SCHOOL
MATHEMATICS
EXPANSIONS
FORM 4

Ex. (𝑥 + 2)2 = (𝑥 + 2)(𝑥 + 2) The value of b is 2, therefore

= 𝑥 2 + 2𝑥 + 2𝑥 + 2(2) the coefficient of x is 2 × 2 = 4

= 𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 + 4

Ex. (2𝑥 + 1)2 = (2𝑥 + 1)(2𝑥 + 1)

+2𝑥 +1
=
+2𝑥 +1 +2𝑥 +1
=

Ex. (𝑥 − 1)2 = (𝑥 − 1)(𝑥 − 1)

+𝑥 −1
2
The sum of 2 negative = 𝑥 − 𝑥 − 𝑥 − 1(−1)
+𝑥 −1 +𝑥 −1
numbers is the negative = 𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 + 1
sum of their values.

Ex. (2𝑥 − 3)2 = (2𝑥 − 3)(2𝑥 − 3)

+2𝑥 −3
The value of a =
is 2 and the
=
value of b is 3.

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 WOODBROOK SECONDARY SCHOOL
MATHEMATICS
EXPANSIONS
FORM 4

Expand the following double brackets:

1. (𝑥 + 4)(𝑥 + 3)
2. (𝑥 − 3)(𝑥 + 5)
3. (2𝑦 + 4)(𝑘 + 1)
4. (𝑦 − 1)(3𝑘 + 1)
5. (𝑥 + 3)2
6. (2𝑥 + 4)2
7. (𝑥 − 5)2
8. (3𝑥 − 2)2

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 WOODBROOK SECONDARY SCHOOL
MATHEMATICS
EXPANSIONS
FORM 4

January 2014

Expand and simplify:

(2𝑘 − 3)(𝑘 − 2) [2 marks]

+2𝑘 −3

+𝑘 −2 +𝑘 −2

(2𝑘 − 3)(𝑘 − 2) = 2𝑘(𝑘 − 2) − 3(𝑘 − 2)

=
=

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