EDEN UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES

BINOMIAL EXPANSIONS (NSC1320) TUTORIAL
LECTURER: MR R DOZVA

1. Express
9×8×7×6
4×3×2×1
in factorial notation.

2. Factorize 8! − 5(7!)

3. Factorize (n + 1)! + n2 (n − 1)!

4. Write the following in factorial notation

n(n − 1)(n − 2)
(a)
3×2×1
(n − 1)(n − 2)(n − 3)(n − 4)
(b)
4×3×2×1
 4
1 12 1
5. Using Pascal’s triangle, show that 3x − x = 81x4 − 108x2 + 54 − x2
+ x4
 4
2
6. Expand the binomial x + x

7. If the coefficient of the x2 term in the expansion of (1 − 3x)n is 90, find n.

8. In the expansion of (1 + ax)n the first term is 1, the second term is 24x and the third
term is 252x2 . Find the values of a and n.

9. The expression (1 − 3x)4 expands to 1 − 12x + px2 + qx3 + 81x4 . Find the value of p and
q.

10. Find the coefficient of x12 in the expansion (x2 − 2)8

 6
1
11. Find the term independent of x in the expansion 2x − x2

1 √
12. Use the expansion of (1 − x) 2 with x = 0.02 to find the decimal value of 2.

1
 !
n
13. If = 56 show that n3 − 3n2 + 2n − 336 = 0. Hence find n.
3
! ! ! !
n+1 n−1 n+1 n−1
14. Show that - = (n − 1)2 . Hence find n if - = 16.
3 3 3 3
s
1 + 2x
15. Expand as a series of ascending powers of x upto and including the term in x2
1 − 2x

16. By using the binomial expansion of (2+x)7 , show that, correct to 3 d.p., (2.08)7 = 168.439
 1 + x 2
17. Find the coefficient of x2 when is expanded as a series of ascending powers of
1−x
x.

18. When (1 + ax)−2 , where a is a positive constant, is expanded in ascending powers of x,

the coefficients of x and x3 are equal.

(a) Find the exact value of a.

(b) When a has this value, obtain the expansion up to and including the term in x2 ,
simplifying the coefficients.
1
19. Find the coefficient of x3 in the expansion of (3 − x)(1 + 3x) 3 in ascending powers of x.

20. If xis so small that x2 and higher powers can be neglected show that
 x 10
(1 − x)5 2 + ≈ 29 (2 − 5x)
2