C HAPTER

12

Polynomials

12.2 Multiplication of polynomials

Exercises 12.1
1

Expand:
3
2
a (x
2)(x  2x  4x  8)

Find the coefficient of x3 in the expansion of:

3
3
a (x  3)(x
1)
b

(2x3  x
2)(x2
x  3)
x (x2
1)(x2  2)

Evaluate 3.6x3
1.9x2  2.7x
1.3 when x 
2.014, correct to 4 significant figures.

12.4 Common factors

Exercises 12.2
1

Factorise the following expressions:

a
6x
8x2
b
a2b  ab2
2
2
3 2
d x  3xy
e 3ax y
ax y

c
f

2p  4pq  6q
2x
2ax  6bx2

12.5 The difference of two squares

Exercises 12.3
Factorise:
1

(a  b  c)2
(a
b
c)2

(p  q
r)2
(p
q  r)2

12.6 Trinomials
Exercises 12.4
1

Factorise the following:

2
a F  13F  12
2
d L  16L  39

b
e

C2  6C  5
r2  13r  36

c
f

e2  6e  9
C2  29C  100
Chapter 12 Polynomials

67

Factorise the following:

2
a L
7L  12
2
c E
16E  39
Factorise:
2
a 4a  11a  6
2
d 8x  17x  9

b
d

T 2
16T  48
V2
25V  100
c

4a2  20a  9
8x2  27x  9

8x2  18x  9
8x2  38x  9

Factorise:
2
a 6x
37x  6

9x2
19x  2

10k2
31k  3

Factorise:
2
a 4a  28a
15

6n2  11n
2

6n2  n
2

4k2
12k  5
10t2
101t  10

c
f

8x2  13x
6
10t2
21t
10

Factorise:
2
a 6x
7x
3
2
d 8x
47x
6

12.7 Composite types

Exercises 12.5
Factorise the following:
1

4R2
20R  24

10C 2  20C
30

32V 2
200

4R2
32R  60

18V2
32E 2

10C 2
130C  120

12.8 Algebraic fractions

(simplification by factorising)
Exercises 12.6
Factorise where possible and hence simplify:
V 2
4V  4
6
3C
1 
2 
V
2
2
C
3
3
2V
3V
18M
2M
4 
5

2
2 
9
6V
6M  2M

3
6

R2
4

2
R
2
2R
3R

9
6R

12.11 Solution of the equation x  C

Exercises 12.8
1

68

Solve the following (a calculator is not necessary):

2
2
2
2
a 12
x  3
b C 3 4
2
2
d 2(x
3)  12
e 3(x
2)  6

CD Supplement to accompany Mathematics for Technicians

c
f

x2  3  12
4(1
x 2) 
12

Solve correct to 3 significant figures:

31.2
a 5(M  4)  M(5  M)
b 
R  0
R
2
(x  3)
2
c   3
d (2V  3)  (V  4)(V  8)
2x  5
Solve the following (a calculator is not necessary):
2
2
a (2Q
1)  16
b 49
(3
2L)  0
3
1.68
x
2
2M
1
c   
d   
x
2
2M
1
3
1.68
4
t3
e   
t
3
4
Using a calculator, solve, correct to 3 significant figures:
2
a 3(2t  1)  50
b (2x
1)(3x
4)  5
14.6
2.36
x
4
2k
3
c    
d   
2x
8
8k
12
11.2
5.12

12.12 Solution of the equation

2
ax  bx  0
Exercises 12.9
Solve questions 1
2 by factorising.
1

4F
F2  0

2
Q2
3

 4Q

1
t
2

4t  0
b

c
2
(L
5

50E2  20E  0
3

 2L2)  4L(L
2)

12.13 Solution of the equation

2
ax  bx  c  0
Exercises 12.10
Solve questions 1
3 by factorising.
1

2
3

L2
7L
18  0
x2  x
12  0

Q(Q
1)  12

6x  x
2x  0

M2  5(5  2M )  0
d x(x  3)
4  0
x2
2
C  2(3C
4)
c   2
x4
3
2
b 20x
65x  15x  0
b

12.14 Roots and zeros

Exercises 12.11
1

What are the zeros of the expression 5V 2  5V
60?

Chapter 12 Polynomials

69

Find the roots of the equation 2E 2  4E
48  0.

Find a quadratic expression that has zeros of 3 and
7 (write the expression in the form
x2  bx  c).

12.15 The method of completing

the square
Exercises 12.12
Solve the following quadratic equations using the method of completing the square.
1

State the roots correct to 3 significant figures.

2
a x  3x  15  17
b

2x2
4x
5  0

x
1
2x
3
  
x2
x4
2
3x  2x  4

12.16 The quadratic formula

Exercises 12.13
2


b
b

4ac
Given that the roots of the quadratic equation ax2  bx  c  0 are x  ,
2a
solve the following equations giving the roots correct to 3 significant figures:

a
c

V 2
2V
7  0
1
1
5
M2
M  
3
6
6

b
d

k3  5k2
k  0
(C
2)(C
3)  (3C
2)(C  4)

Mechanical and general applications

Exercises 12.14
1

A rectangle has perimeter 10 m.

a If the length of the rectangle is l m, (i) express the breadth in terms of l, (ii) express the
area in terms of l.
b By putting the above expression for the area equal to 6, find the length of the rectangle
if the area is 6 m2. Hence also find the breadth of the rectangle.

A rectangle of area 2 m2 has perimeter 8 m. Find the length and breadth of the rectangle.

3
6m

70

A square of side x m is surmounted symmetrically by an isosceles triangle

of altitude 6 m.
a Express the area of the figure in terms of x.
2
b Evaluate x, given that the area is 28 m .
2
c Evaluate x, given that the area is 13.0 m .

CD Supplement to accompany Mathematics for Technicians

Electrical applications

Exercises 12.15
In this set of exercises for electrical students, all quantities and answers are in SI units, hence no
units are actually stated.
R

1
I

A battery having an emf of E V and an internal

resistance of r  drives a current I A through a load
resistance of R . The power dissipated in the load
resistance is given by P  EI
I2r, where I is
positive.

In each of the following cases, given the values of r, E and P, solve the quadratic equation
to find the size of the current. (In parts (a) and (b), the equation can be solved by
factorising.)
a r  1, E  8, P  12
b r  5, E  30, P  40
c r  1, E  6, P  2
d r  8, E  12, P  3

Exercises 12.16
1

When a constant force F is applied to a body of mass m, initially at rest, for time t, the body
Ft
will acquire a velocity given by v  .
m
a How long does it take to give a body of mass 16 t a velocity of 81 km/h using a force of
P N?
b How long does it take to achieve the same result if the force is increased by 1 kN?
c If the above increase in force reduces the time required by 1 min, find the force P and
the time taken when using this force.

Given that one of the capacitors in this circuit

has capacitance C farads, it can be shown that
Q
C
when a total energy of W joules is stored in the
capacitors by the application of V volts as shown,
the charge in the other capacitor will be
2W
given by Q  
CV coulombs.
V
2
Write this quadratic equation in the form aV  bV  c  0.
Find the voltage given that C  500 F, Q  500 C and W  3.00 mJ.

a
b
c

 

Q
Hence find the capacitance of the other capacitor   .
V

Chapter 12 Polynomials

71

12.17 Graphical solution of a

quadratic equation
Exercises 12.17
1

72

Plot the graph of the following function f(x) for integral values of x over the domain
specified. Solve the equation f(x)  0. Then compare your solution with that obtained using
the quadratic formula.
2
a 2x
6x
3  0, for
1  x  4

CD Supplement to accompany Mathematics for Technicians