EXPANDING DOUBLE

BRACKETS
The area of a rectangle that has sides of length (x + 5) and (x + 2)
can be found by splitting the rectangle into four parts.

x+5 x 5

x x2 5x
x+2
2 2x 10

So (x  2)(x  5)  x 2  5x  2x  10
 x 2  7x  10
You can multiply double brackets without using a diagram.

To expand double brackets you multiply each term in the first

bracket by each term in the second bracket.

Use the mnemonic FOIL to help you.

F L
F first
O
I
outside
inside
(x  2)(x  5)  x 2  5x  2x  10
L last I
O  x  7x  10
2
(x  3)(x  7)  x 2  7x  3x  21
 x  10x  21
2
(x  1)(x  6)  x 2  6x  x  6
 x  7x  6
2
(x  2)(x  4)  x 2  4x  2x  8
 x  2x  8
2
(x  3)(x  8)  x 2  8x  3x  24
 x  5x  24
2
(x  2)(x  9)  x 2  9x  2x  18
 x  11x  18
2
 
2
x5  (x  5)(x  5)  x 2  5x  5x  25
 x  10x  25
2
 
2
2x  1  (2x  1)(2x  1)  4x 2 2x  2x  1
 4x  4x  1
2
(3x  4)(2x  3)  6x 2  9x  8x  12
 6x  x  12
2
Solving problems
 x+7
1 The shaded area is 40 cm2.
Find x. x x+3
x

rectangle – square = 40

(x  7)(x  3)  x 2  40 expand the brackets

x 2  3x  7x  21 x 2  40 simplify

10x  21 40 take 21 from both sides

10x  19 divide both sides by 10

x  1.9
2 Find x for this right angled triangle. x+1
6
Use Pythagoras x
x 2  6 2  (x  1)2

x 2  36  (x  1)(x  1) expand the brackets

x 2  36  x 2  x  x  1

x 2  36  x 2  2x  1 take x2 from both sides

36  2x  1 take 1 from both sides

2x  35 divide both sides by 2

x  17.5
3 Write down and simplify an expression for
the surface area of the cuboid. x+2

x
x+5
surface area = sum of areas of the six faces

 2x(x  2)  2x(x  5)  2(x  5)(x  2) expand the brackets

 2x 2  4x  2x 2  10x  2(x 2  2x  5x  10)

 2x 2  4x  2x 2  10x  2(x 2  7x  10)

 2x 2  4x  2x 2  10x  2x 2  14x  20 simplify

 6x 2  28x  20