MATH SL

EXERCISES 1.4 SOLUTIONS

BINOMIAL THEOREM
Compiled by: Christos Nikolaidis

A. Practice Questions
1. (1 + x ) 3 = 1 + 3 x + 3 x 2 + x 3 (1 − x ) 3 = 1 − 3 x + 3 x 2 − x 3

(1 + x ) 4 = 1 + 4 x + 6 x 2 + 4 x 3 + x 4 (1 − x ) 4 = 1 − 4 x + 6 x 2 − 4 x 3 + x 4

(1 + x ) 5 = 1 + 5 x + 10 x 2 + 10 x 3 + 5 x 4 + x 5 (1 − x ) 5 = 1 − 5 x + 10 x 2 − 10 x 3 + 5 x 4 − x 5
2. (1 + x )10 = 1 + 10 x + 45 x 2 + 120 x 3 + L
3. − 120 x 7
4. 45x 16
5. (a) (1 + 2 x ) 4 = 1 + 8 x + 24 x 2 + 32 x 3 + 16 x 4 (b) 8x 2 (c) 32x 2 (d) 71x 2

B. Past Paper Questions (SHORT)

4 4 4
6. (3x + 2y)4 = (3x)4 +   (3x)2(2y) +   (3x)2(2y)2 +   (3x)(2y)3 +(2y)4 (A1)
1 2 3
= 81x + 216x y + 216x y + 96xy + 16y4
4 3 2 2 3
(A1)(A1)(A1) (C4)
[4]

7. ... + 6 × 22(ax)2 + 4 × 2(ax)3 + (ax)4 (M1)(M1)(M1)

2 2 3 3 4 4
= ...+ 24a x +8a x + a x (A1)(A1)(A1) (C6)
Notes: Award C3 if brackets omitted, leading to 24a2x2 + 8
a3x3+ a4x4. Award C4 if correct expression with brackets as in
first line of markscheme is given as final answer.
[6]
8. METHOD 1
Using binomial expansion (M1)

( 3
)  3
( ) 3
3 + 7 = 3 3 +   3 2 7 +   3 ( 7) +( 7)
2 3
(A1)
1  2
= 27 + 27 7 + 63 + 7 7 (A2)
(3 + 7 ) = 90 + 34
3
7 (so p = 90 , q = 34 ) (A1)(A1)(C3)(C3)
METHOD 2
For multiplying (M1)

(3 + 7 ) (3 + 7 ) = (9 + 6
2
)(
7 + 7 3+ 7 ) (A1)

= 27 + 9 7 + 18 7 + 42 + 21 + 7 7
( = 27 + 27 7 + 63 + 7 7 ) (A2)

(3 + 7 ) = 90 + 34
3
7 (so p = 90 , q = 34 ) (A1)(A1)(C3)(C3)
[6]

1
9. (a + b)12
12  12 
Coefficient of a5b7 is   =   (M1)(A1)
5 7
= 792 (A2) (C4)
[4]

7
10. (5a + b)7 = ...+   (5a)3(b)4 + ... (M1)
4
7×6×5× 4
= × 53 × (a3b4) = 35 × 53 × a3b4 (M1)(A1)
1× 2 × 3 × 4
So the coefficient is 4375 (A1)
[4]

8
11. Required term is   (3x)5(–2)3 (A1)(A1)(A1)
 5
Therefore the coefficient of x5 is 56 × 243 × –8
= –108864 (A1)
[4]

 5
12. Term involving x3 is   (2)2(–x)3 (A1)(A1)(A1)
3  
 5
  = 10 (A1)
 3
Therefore, term = –40x3 (A1)
⇒ The coefficient is –40 (A1) (C6)
[6]

 8 5  8
  (2) (−3x)
3
13.  Accept   (M1)(A1)(A1)(A1)
 
3   5 

Term is − 48 384x3 (A2) (C6)

[6]

14. Selecting one term (may be implied) (M1)

7 2 2 5
  5 (2x ) (A1)(A1)(A1)
 2
= 16 800 x10 (A1)(A1) (C6)
Note: Award C5 for 16 800
[6]

15. (a) 10 (A2) (C2)

6

2 3 1
(b) (3x )  –  [for correct exponents] (M1)(A1)
 x
  3 6
9 1  1 
  3 x 6 
or 84 × 33 x 6 6  (A1)
6 x  x 
constant =2268 (A1) (C4)
[6]

2
16. The constant term will be the term independent of the variable x. (R1)
9 3 9
 2  8 − 2 9 6  − 2  −2
 x − 2  = x + 9 x  2  + ... +   x  2  + ... +  2 
9
(M1)
 x  x   3  x  x 
3
9 6  − 2   −8
  x  2  = 84 x 6  6  (A1)
 3  x  x 
= –672 (A1)
[4]
17. (a) 6 terms (A1) (C1)
 5
  = 10, (−2) = −8, ( x )
3 2 2
(b) (A1)(A1)(A1)
 3
fourth term is −80x 4 (A1)
for extracting the coefficient A = −80 (A1) (C5)
[6]

10  7  10  
18.   2 (ax) 3  accept    (A1)(A1)(A1)
 
3   7 
10 
  = 120 (A1)
3
120 × 27 a3 = 414 720 (M1)
a3 = 27
a=3 (A1) (C6)
10  7 3
Note: Award (A1)(A1)(A0) for   2 ax . If this leads to the
3
answer a = 27, do not award the final (A1).
[6]
19. (a) 7 terms A1 N1
(b) A valid approach (M1)
 6
Correct term chosen   x 3 ( ) (− 3x)
3 3
A1
 3
6
Calculating   = 20 , (− 3)3 = − 27 (A1)(A1)
 3
Term is −540x12 A1 N3
[6]

 4  4  4
20. (a) (1 + 1)4 = 24 = 1 +  (1) +  (12 ) +  (13 ) + 14 (M1)
1  2  3
 4  4  4
⇒   +   +   = 16 – 2
 1  2  3
= 14 (A1) (C2)
   9 9
9 9
(b) (1 + 1)9 = 1 +   +   +   + ... +   + 1 (M1)
1   2   3 8
9  9 9 9
⇒   +   +   + ... +   = 29 – 2
1   2   3 8
= 510 (A1) (C2)
[4]

3
21. Identifying the required term (seen anywhere) M1
10 
eg   × 2 2
8
10 
  = 45 (A1)
8
4y2, 2 × 2, 4 (A2)
a = 180 A2 N4
[6]

22. (a) For finding second, third and fourth terms correctly (A1)(A1)(A1)
2
 4  1   4 2  1 
Second term   e 3   , third term   e   ,
1  e  1  e 
3
 4  1 
fourth term   e  
1  e 
For finding first and last terms, and adding them to their
three terms (A1)
4 2 3
 1   4 4  4 3  1   4 2  1   4  1 
 e +  =  e +  e   +   e   +   e   +
 e  0 1  e   2  e   3  e 
4
 4  1 
   
 4  e 
4 2 3 4
 1 3 1 2 1 1 1
 e +  = e + 4e   + 6e   + 4e   +  
4

 e   
e  
e e e
 4 4 1 
 = e + 4e + 6 + 2 + 4 
2
N4
 e e 

4 2 3 4
 1 3 1 2 1 1 1
 e −  = e − 4e   + 6e   − 4e   +  
4
(b)
 e e e e e
 4 4 1 
 = e − 4e + 6 − 2 + 4 
2
(A1)
 e e 
2
Adding gives 2e4 + 12 +
e4
 2 4

 accept 2 4 e 4 + 2 4 e 2  1  + 2 4  1   A1 N2
 0  2  4 e 
     e    
[6]