GCSEMathsEdexcelFoundationFlashcardsAlgebraExpanding Brackets

Expanding Brackets (Edexcel GCSE Maths: Foundation): Flashcards

Exam code: 1MA1

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Cards in this collection (6)

  • Explain how to expand a single bracket.

    E.g. 2 open parentheses x plus 3 close parentheses.

    Expanding a bracket means multiplying the term outside the bracket by each term inside the bracket.

    So 2 open parentheses x plus 3 close parentheses becomes 2 x plus 6 from 2 cross times x plus 2 cross times 3.

  • True or False?

    negative 2 open parentheses 1 minus x close parentheses expands to negative 2 minus 2 x.

    False.

    negative 2 open parentheses 1 minus x close parentheses can be thought of as open parentheses negative 2 close parentheses cross times 1 plus open parentheses negative 2 close parentheses cross times open parentheses negative x close parentheses.

    Multiplying two negatives gives a positive, so the answer is negative 2 plus 2 x.

  • How can you simplify 3 open parentheses x plus 5 plus x close parentheses before expanding the brackets?

    You can simplify 3 open parentheses x plus 5 plus x close parentheses before expanding by first collecting like terms inside the brackets to give 3 open parentheses 2 x plus 5 close parentheses.

    This can also be written as 3 open parentheses 5 plus 2 x close parentheses.

  • Explain how to simplify an expression with two sets of brackets

    E.g. 2 open parentheses x plus 1 close parentheses plus 3 open parentheses x minus 1 close parentheses.

    To simplify expressions like 2 open parentheses x plus 1 close parentheses plus 3 open parentheses x minus 1 close parentheses you expand the brackets then collect like terms.

    So 2 open parentheses x plus 1 close parentheses plus 3 open parentheses x minus 1 close parentheses expands to give 2 x plus 2 plus 3 x minus 3.
    The terms are then collected to give 5 x minus 1.

  • True or False?

    3 open parentheses x plus 2 close parentheses expands to 3 x plus 6, then the 3's cancel to give x plus 2.

    False.

    You cannot cancel the 3's because 3 open parentheses x plus 2 close parentheses is an expression, not an equation.

    You can only cancel both sides by 3 if you had an equation, like 3 open parentheses x plus 2 close parentheses equals 9.

  • How do you find the highest power of x when expanding expressions?

    E.g. 2 x squared open parentheses x plus x squared close parentheses.

    The highest power of x will come from multiplying the outside term by the inside term with the highest power.

    The highest power of x in 2 x squared open parentheses x plus x squared close parentheses is x to the power of 4.

    This can be found by multiplying x squared outside the bracket by the highest power, x squared, from inside the bracket.

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