12.1 Expanding and factorising quadratics — Practise with help
Warm-up: remember
Answer these from memory. Do not look back at the section.
- Simplify .
- Expand .
Check the warm-up
- .
- .
If an answer differs, revisit Section 8.2 for collecting like terms and Section 8.3 for expanding a bracket.
Practise with help
1. Expand .
Hint
Multiply each term in the first bracket by both terms in the second.
Next step
Use the hint to write the next algebra line. Then finish the calculation before opening the full working.
Full working
.
2. Factorise .
Hint
Find a pair with sum and product .
Next step
Use the hint to write the next algebra line. Then finish the calculation before opening the full working.
Full working
The pair is , so .
Choose a method: factorise . Which method applies, and why?
Full working
Factorisation applies because the expression is a monic quadratic with integer factors: .