Note:

All of the Lessons are connected with each other.

Basic Lessons in Math Special Products:

Laws of Exponents:
1.) Perfect Square Trinomial
1.) Product of Powers - Also called the square of a
- For any Real Number a and any binomial.
positive integers m and n: (𝑎 + 𝑏)2 = 𝑎2 + 2𝑎𝑏 + 𝑏 2
𝑎𝑚 ∙ 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎𝑚+𝑛 (𝑎 − 𝑏)2 = 𝑎2 − 2𝑎𝑏 + 𝑏 2

2.) Power of a Power 2.) Difference of Two Squares

- For any real number a and any - It is the product of the sum and
positive integer m and n: difference of two quantities.
(𝑎𝑚 )𝑛 = 𝑎𝑚𝑛 (𝑎 + 𝑏)(𝑎 − 𝑏) = 𝑎2 − 𝑏 2

3.) Power of a Product 3.) Sum and Differences of Two

- For any real number a and any Cubes:
positive integer m and n: (𝑎 + 𝑏)(𝑎2 − 𝑎𝑏 + 𝑏 2 ) = 𝑎3 + 𝑏 3
(𝑎𝑏)𝑚 = 𝑎𝑚 𝑏 𝑚 (𝑎 − 𝑏)(𝑎2 + 𝑎𝑏 + 𝑏 2 ) = 𝑎3 − 𝑏 3

4.) Quotient of Powers Multiplying Polynomials:

- For integers m and n, where - In multiplying polynomials
m > n, and any nonzero number a: always use the laws of
𝑎𝑚
= 𝑎𝑚−𝑛 exponent and the
𝑎𝑛
distributive property.
5.) Power of a Quotient Ex.
- For real numbers a and b, b≠0,
and any positive integer m: 2𝑥(𝑎 + 𝑏 + 𝑐)
𝑎 𝑚 𝑎𝑚
( ) = 𝑚 𝐴𝑛𝑠. = 2𝑎𝑥 + 2𝑏𝑥 + 2𝑐𝑥
𝑏 𝑏
- In some cases, like two
6.) Negative Exponent binomials being
- For any nonzero real number a multiplied, we use a
and any positive integer n: simpler method which is
1
𝑎−𝑛 = 𝑛 the FOIL Method.
𝑎
7.) Zero Exponent Ex.
- Foe any nonzero real number F L
a:
𝑎0 = 1 (2𝑥 + 𝑦)(4𝑥 + 2𝑦)

O I
= 8𝑥 2 + 4𝑥𝑦 + 4𝑥𝑦
+ 2𝑦 2
𝐴𝑛𝑠. = 8𝑥 2 + 8𝑥𝑦 + 2𝑦 2
Note:
All of the Lessons are connected with each other.
Factoring: 4.) Using the Last expression, group
the first two terms and the last
Factoring Polynomials with a two terms and factor out of each
Common Factor: binomial term. Note that the same
binomial factor is considered as
Ex. only on binomial and the other
factored out is to be put together.
4𝑥 2 + 8𝑥 3 + 12𝑥 4 (4𝑥 2 + 8𝑥) + (−3𝑥 − 6)
= 2𝑥(𝑥 + 2) − 3(𝑥 + 2)
Steps:
𝐴𝑛𝑠. = (2𝑥 − 3)(𝑥 + 2)
1.) Get the common factor of the
polynomial.
Factoring;

Difference of Two Squares:

2 2 3 4
4𝑥 (4𝑥 + 8𝑥 + 12𝑥 )
Ex.
2.) Divide the common factor to all of
the terms. 𝑥2 − 4
4𝑥2 +8𝑥3 +12𝑥4
= 1 + 2𝑥 + 3𝑥2 Steps:
4𝑥 2 4𝑥2 4𝑥 2

3.) Get all of the divided terms and 1.) Get the square root of the
put them in order. terms(not including the signs).
𝐴𝑛𝑠. = 1 + 2𝑥 + 3𝑥 2 √𝑥 2 − √4
=𝑥−2
2.) Get the binomial that has the
Factoring Quadratic Trinomials: same terms as step 1 but the
second terms sign is the opposite.
Ex. 𝐴𝑛𝑠. = (𝑥 − 2)(𝑥 + 2)
4𝑥 2 + 5𝑥 − 6

Steps:
1.) Multiply the coefficient of 𝑥 2 and Sum and differences of Two
the constant term. Cubes
4(−6) = −24
Ex.
2.) Find a pair of factors whose
𝑥3 − 𝑦3
product is the number obtained in
step 1 and whose sum is the Steps:
coefficient of 𝑥 or the middle
term.
8(−3) = −24 1.) Get the Cube root of the two
8 + (−3) = 5 terms (not including the
3.) Rewrite the equation by replacing
signs).
the middle term with the pair of
3
numbers with its variable. √𝑥 3 − 3√𝑦 3 = 𝑥 − 𝑦
4𝑥 2 + 8𝑥 − 3𝑥 − 6
Note:
All of the Lessons are connected with each other.
2.) You already have the first 2.) Factor them according to how
binomial, now lets do the you grouped them.
= 2𝑎(𝑥 + 2𝑦) + 𝑏(𝑥 + 2𝑦)
trinomial:
𝐴𝑛𝑠. = (2𝑎 + 𝑏)(𝑥 + 2𝑦)
a.) Get the square of the first
term in the binomial.
𝑥2 Rational Expressions:
- These are ratio of two
b.) Get the opposite product polynomials with a
of the two terms in the denominator not equal to zero.
- Can be written in the form of
binomial. 𝑃
, where P and Q are
𝑥𝑦 𝑄
polynomials and Q≠0.
- All parts of a rational
c.) Get the square of the last
expression should be a real
term in the binomial. number.
𝑦2
Simplifying Rational
Expressions:
3.) Put all of the terms from a, b, Ex.
and c to make the trinomial. 3𝑥 2 − 4𝑥 + 1
Put the result of a, b, and c 4𝑥 2 − 8𝑥 + 4
with the result of step 1. Steps:

𝐴𝑛𝑠. = (𝑥 − 𝑦)(𝑥 2 + 𝑥𝑦 1.) Factor the numerator and

+ 𝑦2) the denominator.
(3𝑥 − 1)(𝑥 − 1)
(4𝑥 − 4)(𝑥 − 1)

Factoring by Grouping: 2.) Cancel out their greatest

common factor and copy
Ex. the remainders.
(3𝑥−1)(𝑥−1)
2𝑎𝑥 + 2𝑏𝑦 + 4𝑎𝑦 + 𝑏𝑥
(4𝑥−4)(𝑥−1)
3𝑥 − 1
Steps 𝐴𝑛𝑠. =
4𝑥 − 4
1.) Choose Groupings that are
easy for you (you can group
them into quadratic trinomials,
difference of two squares and
sum and difference of two
cubes depending on the
problem).
(2𝑎𝑥 + 4𝑎𝑦) + (𝑏𝑥 + 2𝑏𝑦)
Note:
All of the Lessons are connected with each other.
Multiplying (𝑥+4)(𝑥−2) 3(𝑥+1)
∙
(𝑥+3)(𝑥+1) (𝑥−2)
Multiplying Rational Expressions:
3.) Proceed to multiplying the
Ex.
remaining polynomials.
𝑥 + 7 𝑥 2 + 10𝑥 + 25 3𝑥 + 12
𝐴𝑛𝑠. =
∙ 𝑥+3
𝑥 2 − 25 𝑥 2 − 49
Steps:
1.) Factor out the numerator and
denominator of each rational
expression.
𝑥+7 (𝑥 + 5)(𝑥 + 5)
∙
(𝑥 − 5)(𝑥 + 5) (𝑥 + 7)(𝑥 − 7)

2.) Cross-Cancel the common factors

of the opposite poles. Lastly
multiply the remaining
polynomials.
𝑥+7 (𝑥+5)(𝑥+5)
∙
(𝑥−5)(𝑥+5) (𝑥+7)(𝑥−7)
𝑥+5
=
(𝑥 − 5)(𝑥 − 7)
𝑥+5
𝐴𝑛𝑠. = 2
𝑥 − 12𝑥 + 35

Dividing Rational Expression:

Ex.
𝑥 2 +2𝑥−8 𝑥−2
÷
𝑥 2 +4𝑥+3 3𝑥+3

Steps:
1.) Get the reciprocal of the divisor.

𝑥 2 + 2𝑥 − 8 3𝑥 + 3
÷
𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 + 3 𝑥 − 2
2.) Factor out the numerator and the
denominator of both rational
expression and cross-cancel the
common factor Good Luck 