FOIL METHOD

What is the Foil Method?

Many students will start thinking of a kitchen when they first hear a mention of the term foil.

Here, we are talking about the FOIL – a mathematical series of steps used to multiply two

binomials. Before we learn what the term foil entails, let’s take a quick review of what the word

binomial is.

A binomial is simply an expression that consists of two variables or terms separated by either

the addition sign (+) or subtraction sign (-). Examples of binomial expressions are 2𝑥 + 4, 5𝑥 +

3, 4𝑦 – 6, – 7𝑦 – 𝑦 𝑒𝑡𝑐.

HOW TO DO FOIL METHOD?

The foil method is a technique used for remembering the steps required to multiply two

binomials in an organized manner.

The F-O-I- L acronym stands for first, outer, inner, and last.

Let’s explain each of these terms with the help of bold letters:

 First, which means multiplying the first terms together, i.e. (a + b) (c + d)

 Outer means that we multiply the outermost terms when the binomials are placed side

by side, i.e. (a + b) (c + d).

1
  Inner means multiply the innermost terms together i.e. i.e. (a + b) (c + d).

 Last. This implies that we multiply together the last term in each binomial, i.e., i.e. (a

+ b) (c + d).

How do you distribute binomials using the foil method?

Let us put this method into perspective by multiplying two binomials, (a + b) and (c + d).

To find multiply (a + b) * (c + d).

 Multiply the terms which appear in the first position of binomial. In this, case a and c are
the terms, and their product are;

(𝑎 ∗ 𝑐) = 𝑎𝑐

 Outer(O) is the next word after the word first(F). Therefore, multiply the outermost or
the last terms when the two binomials are written side by side. The outermost terms

are b and d.

(𝑏 ∗ 𝑑) = 𝑏𝑑

 The term inner implies that we multiply two terms that are in the middle when the
binomials are written side-by-side;

(𝑏 ∗ 𝑐) = 𝑏𝑐

 The last implies that we find the product of the last terms in each binomial. The last
terms are b and d. Therefore, 𝑏 ∗ 𝑑 = 𝑏𝑑.

Now we can sum up the partial products of the two binomials beginning from the first, outer,

inner, and then the last. Therefore, (𝑎 + 𝑏) ∗ (𝑐 + 𝑑) = 𝑎𝑐 + 𝑎𝑑 + 𝑏𝑐 + 𝑏𝑑.

The foil method is an effective technique because we can use it to manipulate numbers,

regardless of how they might look ugly with fractions and negative signs.

2
How Do You Multiply Binomials Using The Foil Method?

To master the foil method better, we shall solve a few examples of binomials.

Example 1

Multiply (2𝑥 + 3) (3𝑥 – 1)

SOLUTION

Begin, by multiplying together, the first terms of each binomial

= 2𝑥 ∗ 3𝑥 = 6𝑥 2

Now multiply the outer terms.

= 2𝑥 ∗ (−1) = −2𝑥

Now multiply the inner terms.

= (3) ∗ (3𝑥) = 9𝑥

Finally, multiply the last team in each binomial together.

= (3) ∗ (– 1) = – 3

Sum up the partial products starting from the first to last product and collect the like terms;

= 6𝑥 2 + (−2𝑥) + 9𝑥 + (−3)

= 6𝑥 2 + 7𝑥 – 3.

Example 2

Use the foil method to solve: (−7𝑥 − 3) (−2𝑥 + 8)

Solution

Multiply the first term:

= (−7𝑥 ) ∗ (−2𝑥) = 14𝑥 2

Multiply the outer terms:

3
 = ( −7𝑥) ∗ ( 8) = −56𝑥

Multiply the inner terms of the binomial:

= – 3 ∗ −2𝑥 = 6𝑥

Finally, multiply the last terms:

= – 3 ∗ 8 = −24

Find the sum of the partial products and collect the like terms:

= 14𝑥 2 + ( −56𝑥) + 6𝑥 + (−24)

= 14𝑥 2 – 56𝑥 – 24

EXAMPLE 3

Multiply (𝑥 – 3) (2𝑥 – 9)

Solution

Multiply the first terms together:

= (𝑥) ∗ (2𝑥) = 2𝑥 2

Multiply the outermost terms of each binomial:

= (𝑥) ∗ (– 9) = – 9𝑥

Multiply the inner terms of the binomial:

= (– 3) ∗ (2𝑥) = – 6𝑥

Multiply the last terms of each binomial:

= (– 3) ∗ (– 9) = 27

Sum up the products following the foil order and collect the like terms:

= 2𝑥 2 – 9𝑥 − 6𝑥 + 27

= 2𝑥 2 – 15𝑥 + 27

4
EXAMPLE 4

Multiply [𝑥 + (𝑦 – 4)] [3𝑥 + (2𝑦 + 1)]

Solution

In this case, the operations are broken down into smaller units, and the results combine:

Begin by multiplying the first terms:

= (𝑥) ∗ 3𝑥 = 3𝑥 2

Multiply the outer terms of each binomial:

= (𝑥) ∗ (2𝑦 + 1) = 2𝑥𝑦 + 𝑥

Multiply the inner terms of each binomial:

= (𝑦 – 4) (3𝑥) = 3𝑥𝑦 – 12𝑥

Now finish by multiplying the last terms:

= (𝑦 – 4) (2𝑦 + 1)

Since the last terms area gain two binomials; Sum up the products:

= 3𝑥 2 + 2𝑥𝑦 + 𝑥 + 3𝑥𝑦 – 12𝑥 + (𝑦 – 4) (2𝑦 + 1)

= 3𝑥 2 + 5𝑥𝑦 – 11𝑥 + (𝑦 – 4) (2𝑦 + 1)

Again, apply the foil method on (𝑦 – 4) (2𝑦 + 1).

(𝑦) ∗ (2𝑦) = 2𝑦 2

(𝑦) ∗ (1) = 𝑦

(– 4) ∗ (2𝑦) = – 8𝑦

(– 4) ∗ (1) = – 4

Sum up the totals and collect the like terms:

= 2𝑦 2 – 7𝑦 – 4

5
Now replace this answer into the two binomials:

= 3𝑥 2 + 5𝑥𝑦 – 11𝑥 + (𝑦 – 4) (2𝑦 + 1) = 3𝑥 2 + 5𝑥𝑦 – 11𝑥 + 2𝑦 2 – 7𝑦 – 4

Therefore,

[𝑥 + (𝑦 – 4)] [3𝑥 + (2𝑦 + 1)] = 3𝑥 2 + 5𝑥𝑦 – 11𝑥 + 2𝑦 2 – 7𝑦 – 4

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Multiply the following binomials using the foil method:

(− 𝑥 − 1) (−𝑥 + 1).

(4𝑥 + 5) (𝑥 + 1)

(3𝑥 − 7) (2𝑥 + 1)

(𝑥 + 5) (𝑥 − 3)

(𝑥 − 12) (2𝑥 + 1).

(10𝑥 − 6) (4𝑥 − 7)

Answers

𝑥2– 1

– 4𝑥 2 + 𝑥 + 5

6𝑥 2 − 11𝑥 − 7

𝑥 2 + 2𝑥 − 15

2𝑥 2 − 23𝑥 – 12

– 40𝑥 2 + 46𝑥 + 42