MATH 7

MODULE 2 – LESSON 4
Special Products

Pre-requisite Concepts: Addition and Multiplication of Polynomials

Objectives:
In this lesson, you are expected to:
Find (a) inductively, using models and (b) algebraically the
1. product of two binomials
2. product of a sum and difference of two terms
3. square of a binomial
4. cube of a binomial
5. product of a binomial and a trinomial

A. Product of two binomials

General formula for the product of two binomials (a + b)(c + d). This form is sometimes called the FOIL
method where the letters of FOIL stand for first, outside, inside and last.

Activity 1 Find the Product of the following:

B. Product of a sum and difference of two terms

The general form is (a + b) (a – b) = a2 – b2

Example: Find the product of (x – 5) (x + 5)

(You can follow the FOIL Method which will produce the same answer or you can simply follow the
general form.)
 (x – 5)(x + 5) = x2 + 5x – 5x – 25 = x2 – 25

Activity 2. Find the product of the following

1. (2x + 3) (2x – 3)
2. (x + y2) (x – y2)

C. Square of a binomial
The square of a binomial is always a trinomial. It will be helpful to memorize these patterns for
writing squares of binomials as trinomials:
(a + b)2 = a2 + 2ab + b2
(a – b)2 = a2 -2ab + b2

Examples: Square each binomial.

a) (x + 4)2
(x + 4)2 = x2 + 2(x · 4) + 42
= x2 + 8x + 16

b) (2y – 3)2
(2y – 3)2 = (2y)2 – 2 (2y · 3) + 32
= (2y)2 – 2 (6y) + 32
= 4y2 – 12y + 9

c) (3p – 2q2)2
(3p – 2q2)2 = (3p)2 – 2(3p · 2q2) + (2q2)2
= 9p2 – 2(6pq2) + 4q4
= 9p2 – 129q2 + 4q4

D. Cube of a binomial
The cube of the binomial (x + 1) can be expressed as (x + 1) 3. This is equivalent to (x + 1)(x + 1)(x
+ 1).

Analysis: (Follow this outline to answer the next activity)

1. Show that (x + 1)2 = x2 + 2x + 1

By using special products for the square of a binomial, we can show that (x + 1)2 = x2
+ 2x + 1.

2. How are you going to use the above expression to find (x + 1) 3?

(x + 1)3 = (x + 1)2(x + 1) = (x2 + 2x + 1)(x + 1)

3. What is the expanded form of (x + 1)3?

(x + 1)3 = x3 + 3x2 + 3x + 1

Activity 3: Use the techniques outlined above to find the following:

1. (x + 2)2
 2. (x – 1)2
3. (x – 2)2

Questions to Ponder:

1. How many terms are there in each of the cubes of binomials?

2. Compare your answers in numbers 1 and 2?
a. What are similar with the first term? How are they different?
b. What are similar with the second terms? How are they different?
c. What are similar with the third terms? How are they different?
d. What are similar with the fourth terms? How are they different?
3. Craft a rule for finding the cube of the binomial in the form (x + a) 3. Use this rule to find (x + 3)3.
Check by using the method outlined in the activity.
4. Craft a rule for finding the cube of a binomial in the form (x –a )3. Use this rule to find (x – 4)3.
5. Use the method outlined in the activity to find (2x + 5) 3. Can you apply the rule you made in
number 3 for getting the cube of this binomial? If not, modify your rule and use it to find (4x +
1)3.

Answers:

1. The cube of a binomial has four terms.

2. First, make sure that you write the expanded form in standard form.
a. The first terms are the same. They are both x3.
b. The second terms have the same degree, x2. Their coefficients are different. (3 and 6).
c. The third terms have the same degree, x. Their coefficients are 3 and 12.
d. The fourth terms are both constants. The coefficients are 1 and 8.
Make sure that the students notice that the ratio of the coefficients of the terms are 1, 2, 4 and
8. These correspond to the powers of the second term 20, 21, 22, and 23.

3.

4.

5.

END OF MODULE 2.