How do I expand Expressions? Please Help?

Question

well heres one on my homework

x(x+2)
it tells me to expand it, Please help I don't understand it. Do i times the x * x and then x * 2?

to make = x (Tiny 2 after x) and then 2x

what happens when the sign is - awelll


help would be wonderful thankyou
Oh ime also 14, so try to be simple, thanks!

Answer 1

You are so on the right track, you just need confidence!

x(x+2) can be expanded to x^2+2x if it was x(x-2) it would be x^2-2x

the way the signs work with multiplication is
- - = +
- + = -
+ - = -
+ + = +

Also if you were asked to simplify x^2+2x, the answer would be x(x+2), so it can work both ways

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

you are correct.
each term in the brackets is multiplied by the value out side.
the x out side is positive as there is no -ve sign
inside the brackets we have +ve x and +2
because the numbers are all +ve nothing changes.
had one been -ve, then it would have made a diference.
remember that two opposites signs always make a negative and any two similar signs make a positive

Answer 3

Dear student,

You are on the right track, but that tiny two is called an exponent. x*x=x^2 (read x squared).

What it becomes is (x^2)+2x.

When it is x(x-2) (I assume that's what you mean!), it becomes (x^2)-2x.

Good luck!

Answer 4

x(x+2) = x^2+2x
This is the distributive property which says that:
a(b+c) = ab+ac