Inactive Tutor answered 06/12/14
The FOIL method is a mnemonic for remembering that this is what you are doing when you multiply polynomials:
Rebecca E.
asked 06/09/14Inactive Tutor answered 06/12/14
Inactive Tutor answered 06/09/14
To multiply (x-4)2(x-9) first you need to know...
(x-4)2 means (x-4)(x-4)
Now you have (x-4)(x-4)(x-9)
You can multiply any two of these binomials (2-term polynomial). Let's use the FOIL method. (FIRST terms, OUTER terms, INNER terms, LAST terms)
Note: Here is how you FOIL in case you didn't know. You can only use this method with two binomials.
(a+b)(c+d) =
ac + ad + bc + bd
First Outer Inner Last
F x(x) = x2
O x(-4) = -4x
I (-4)(x) = -4x
L (-4)(-4) = +16
Combine -4x + -4x since these are like terms which = -8x
= x2 -8x +16
Now take this answer and multiply it by the remaining binomial (x-9) by distributing the x to each term of the trinomial and then distributing -9 to each term of the trinomial.
(x-9)(x2-8x+16)
x • x2= x3
x • -8x = -8x2
x • 16 = +16x
-9 • x2 = -9x2
-9 • -8x = +72x
-9 • 16 = -144
Now multiply by (x-9):
Put them together x3 - 8x2 + 16x - 9x2 + 72x - 144 and combine like terms. The x2 terms are in bold and the x terms are underlined. These are the terms you combine.
Your final answer is x3 -17x2 +88x -144. This polynomial is in standard form since the exponents are written in decreasing order.
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