Aimst University Tutorial Exercises Sequences & Series 2

TUTORIAL 5 : SEQUENCES & SERIES 2

1. By using the binomial expansion, expand and simplify the following expressions.
(a) ( x + 2 y) 4 (b) (2 y − x) 4
1 2
(c) (2 + ) 5 (d) (x 2 − )5
x x

2. Find the terms stated in the expansion of the following.

(a) (2 − 3a ) 6 ; the middle term (b) (1 + 3b) 7 ; the term in b 4
1 x 2 2 10
(c) (2 x 2 + )12 ; the 10th term (d) ( + ) ; the term in x 2
x 3 x

3. Find the term that is independent of x in the following expansions.

1 8 1 40 1 16
(a) (8 x + ) (b) (x + ) (c) (x 2 + )
2x x3 2x 6

1
4. Expand (1 + x − x 2 ) n in ascending powers of x up to and including the term in x 3 .
2
Verify that when n = 9, the coefficient of x 2 is zero.

5. The coefficients of x and x 2 in the expansion (1 + px )(1 + qx ) 8 are 0 and – 36 respectively. Find
the values of p and q given that p  0 and q  0.

6. Expand the following in ascending powers of x to the fourth term and state the ranges of the
values of x for which the expansions are valid.
2
(a) (1 − 2 x ) −2 (b) (1 + x) 3
1 1
(c) (d)
1 − 3x 1 + 2x
1
(e) ( 2 + x ) −3 (d)
9 − 4x

7. Obtain the expansion of each of the following up to and including the term in x 3 .
1+ x x + x2 1− x
(a) (b) (c)
1− x (1 − x) 2
1+ x

8. (a) Expand (1 + 3 x ) 8 in ascending powers of x up to the 4th term. Hence, evaluate (1.003) 8
correct to four decimal places.
1
1 −
(b) Expand (1 + ) 4 in ascending powers of x until the term in x 3 . State the range of values
x
of x for the expansion to be valid.
Hence, by substituting x = 80, obtain an approximation to 4 5 , correct to four significant
figures.

1
Aimst University Tutorial Exercises Sequences & Series 2

9. Use the binomial expansion to approximate the following expressions correct to five decimal
places.
(a) (1.01) 6 (b) 9.18 (c) 3 1001

3
10. (a) The third term in the binomial expansion of (1 + ) n is six times its second term.
5
Calculate the value of n.
(b) Given that (1 − x) 6 = 1 − 6 x + ax 2 + bx 3 + . . . . .
(i) Show that a = 6.
(ii) Find the value of b.