Introduction

• Binomial Expansion is a way of expanding the

same bracket very quickly, whatever power it
is raised to

• It can be used in probability, in determining

how many ways an event can happen

• We will see an example of this once we have

understood the process which we go through
in expanding the bracket
 The Binomial Expansion
You can work out brackets ‘the long way’, by multiplying
out 2, then multiplying by the next bracket and so on…
1 2 3
a  b  a  b  a  b 

a b a  b a  b  a  b a  b a  b 

a 2  2ab  b 2 a 3  3a 2b  3ab 2  b 3

5A
 The Binomial Expansion
You end up with this pattern…
0
a  b  1
1
a  b  1a  1b

2
a  b  1a 2  2ab  1b 2

3
a  b  1a 3  3a 2b  3ab 2  1b3
4
a  b  1a 4  4a 3b  6a 2b 2  4ab3  1b 4

There is a pattern in the coefficients (the

numbers at the front of each term)
5A
 The Binomial Expansion
The coefficients make a pattern known as Pascal’s triangle
1
You work out each
number by adding the
2 above it. 1 1
Number 1s always go
down the edges 1 2 1

1 3 3 1

1 4 6 4 1

1 5 10 10 5 1

5A
 The Binomial Expansion
For (a + b)n Find the expansion of (x + 2y)3

n=0 1
a x b 2 y n 3
n=1 a b
n = 3, so use the relevant row


n=2 a2  2ab  b2

n=3 a3  3a 2b  3ab 2  b3 a 3  3a 2b  3ab 2  b3

Sub in
for a
n = 4 a  4a b  6a b 
4 3 2 2
4ab3  b4
and b
x 3  3( x) 2 (2 y )  3( x)(2 y ) 2  (2 y )3
Simplify
Careful, (2y)2 = 4y2
x3  6x 2 y  3x(4 y 2 )  8y 3
Now fully
simplify
x3  6x 2 y  12xy 2  8y 3

5A
 The Binomial Expansion
For (a + b)n Find the expansion of (2x - 5)4
1
a 2 x b  5 n 4
a b
n = 4, so use the relevant row


a2  2ab  b2

a3  3a 2b  3ab 2  b3 a 4  4a 3b  6a 2b 2  4ab3  b 4
a 4  4a3b  6a 2b 2  4ab3  b4
3
(2 x) 4  4(2 x)3 (  5)  6(2 x) 2 ( 5) 2  4(2 x)( 5) ( 5) 4
Work out
each part
carefully
16x 4  4(8 x 3 )(  5)  6(4 x 2 )(25)  4(2 x)( 125)  625
Careful with
negatives!
16x 4   160x 3  600x 2   1000x  625
Simplify as
much as you can 16x 4  160x 3  600x 2  1000x  625
5A
 The Binomial Expansion
For (a + b)n The coefficient of x2 in the expansion
of (2 - cx)3 is 294. Find the value of c.
1

a  b Using n = 3 The ‘x’ will be substituted in for b,

so we want the term which has b 2
a2  2ab  b2

a 3
 2
3a b  3ab 2
 b 3 3ab 2
Sub in for a
and b
a 4  4a3b  6a 2b 2  4ab3  b4 3(2)(  cx ) 2
Careful with
negatives!
6c 2 x 2

6c2 is the coefficient of x2, so must

be equal to 294

6c 2 294
Divide by 6
c 2 49
2 possible
answers c 7
5A
 The Binomial Expansion
You can use combinations and factorials to work out
the Binomial Expansion. This is quicker for higher A, B, C
indices.
A, C, B
Suppose that 3 people are running a race. There are 6
different possible outcomes for their final positions. B, A, C
This can be calculated as; B, C, A
3 x 2 x 1 C, A, B

C, B, A
3 possibilities After 1st is After 1st and
for 1st decided, 2 2nd, only 1
possibilities runner is left
for 2nd
3 x 2 x 1 can be written as 3! (3 factorial)

n! = n x (n-1) x (n-2)…………x 3 x 2 x 1
0! = 1 (by definition)
5B
 The Binomial Expansion
You can use combinations and factorials to work out
the Binomial Expansion. This is quicker for higher
indices.
X, Y
Suppose we want to choose 2 letters from X, Y and Z, X, Z
where order does not matter. There are 3 possible
outcomes. Y, Z

This can be written as:

3
or
3 (2 items to choose
C2   from 3 options)
 2
To calculate it, you would work out the following.

3! 6
3
2!1! 2 1

5B
 The Binomial Expansion
You can use combinations and factorials Calculate the number of
to work out the Binomial Expansion. This ways of choosing 2 items
is quicker for higher indices. from a selection of 5

In general, to work out how many ways of n!

choosing ‘r’ items from a group of n items is
written as: (n  r )! r !
5 items, so n = 5.
n
or
 n (r items to choose
2 Choices, so r = 2
Cr   5!
from n options)
r (5  2)!2!
5–2=3
It can be calculated using this general
3! = 6
formula;
120
n!
6 2
(n  r )! r !

5B
 The Binomial Expansion
 n
You can use  r  to work out The Binomial Expansion is;
the coefficients in the
Binomial Expansion (a  b) n (a  b)(a  b)......n times

This method will seem more n

C0 a n  n C1a n  1b  n C2 a n  2b 2  ...... n Cn b n
complicated at first, but with
higher powers it is easier.
 n  n  n  n
  a n   1  a n  1b   2  a n  2b 2  ......  n  b n
0
You will most likely need a      
calculator to work out some of the
factorials
n! r is effectively the
‘position’ in the expansion
You will need the (n  r )! r !
formula from the n is the power which the
previous section bracket is raised to
n!
(n  1)!1!
5C
 The Binomial Expansion
 n n!
  (n  r )!r !
r
Calculate the Binomial Expansion of (2x + y)4
n=4 a = 2x b=y

 4  4  4
(2 x) 4   
1 
(2 x)3 ( y )   
 2
(2 x) 2 ( y ) 2   
3
(2 x)( y )3  ( y ) 4
 4 4!
 
1 
= 3!1!
(2 x) 4  (4)(2 x)3 ( y )  (6)(2 x) 2 ( y ) 2  (4)(2 x)( y )3  ( y ) 4
 4 4!
 
 2
= 2!2! 4
16x 4  32x 3 y  24x 2 y 2  8xy 3  y
 4 4!
 
3
= 1!3!

5C
 The Binomial Expansion
 n n!
  (n  r )!r !
r
Calculate the Binomial Expansion of (3 – 2x)5
n=5 a=3 b = -2x

 5 5  5 5
35   1  34 ( 2 x)   2  33 ( 2 x)2   3  32 ( 2 x )3   4  3(  2 x) 4 ( 2 x)5
 5 5!
 
1 
= 4!1!
35  (5)34 (  2 x) (10)33 ( 2 x) 2  (10)32 ( 2 x)3  (5)3(  2 x) 4 ( 2 x)5
5 5!
 
 2
= 3!2!
243   810x  1080x 2   720x 3  240x 4   32x 5

 5 5!
  = 243  810x 1080x 2 720x 3 240x 4  32x5
 3 2!3!

5 5!
 4
 
= 1!4!
You will always get either all positives, or a
positive/negative alternating pattern…
5C
 The Binomial Expansion
You will not always be asked to
expand the whole thing!

Find the first 4 terms in 10

 x
ascending powers of x of  1  
 4

Then, by using a suitable

substitution, find an approximate
value for 0.97510

5C
 The Binomial Expansion
There is a shortened version (1  x) n
of the expansion when one of
the terms is 1  n n  n  n  n
 1   1  1n  1 x1   2  1n  2 x 2  ......  r  1n  r x r
 0      
Whatever power 1 is raised to, it
will be 1, and can therefore be n(n  1) 2 n(n  1)(n  2) 3
ignored 1  nx  x  x ......
2! 3!
The coefficients give values from
Pascal’s triangle. 1  4x  6x 2  4x3  x 4

 For example, if n was 4…

5D
 The Binomial Expansion
Find the first 4 terms of the Binomial expansion of (1 + 2x) 5

n(n  1) 2 n(n  1)(n  2) 3

1  nx  x  x ......
2! 3!
Put the
numbers in
5(4) 5(4)(3)
1  5(2 x)  (2 x) 2  (2 x)3 ......
2 6
Work out the
fractions
1  5(2 x)  10(2 x)2  10(2 x)3 ......

Simplify

1  10x  40x 2  80x 3 ......

5D
 The Binomial Expansion
Find the first 4 terms of the Binomial expansion of (2 - x) 6

[ ]
6 6 6
 x  x  x
(2  x) 6  2  1    26  1    64  1  
 2  2  2

n(n  1) 2 n(n  1)(n  2) 3

1  nx  x  x ......
Put the
2! 3!
numbers in 2 3
 x  6(5)  x  6(5)(4)  x 
1  6           ......
Work out the  2 2  2 6  2
fractions
6x 30 x 2 120 x3 ......
1   
2 8 48
Simplify

Remember to 1  3x  3.75x 2  2.5x 3 ......

multiply by
64! 1  192x  240x 2  160x3 ......
5D
 Summary
• We have learnt how to expand many
brackets when raised to a power

• We have seen several ways to do this,

which all fit certain circumstances

• We also saw various questions on

working out coefficients, as well as the
brackets themselves