GCSE Maths Revision | Algebra

Expanding Brackets - Worksheet

Skill
Group A - Expanding a single bracket
Expand and simplify:
1) 3(𝑥 + 4) 2) 3(𝑥 + 5) 3) 6(𝑥 + 5)

4) − 6(𝑥 + 5) 5) − 6(𝑥 − 5) 6) 6𝑥(𝑥 − 5)

7) 6𝑥(5 − 2𝑥) 8) 6𝑦(5 − 2𝑦 + 3𝑥) 9) − 6𝑥(2𝑥 − 3𝑦 − 5)

Group B - Expanding double brackets

Expand and simplify:
1) (𝑥 + 3)(𝑥 + 4) 2) (𝑥 + 3)(𝑥 + 5) 3) (𝑥 + 3)(𝑥 − 5)
2 2
4) (𝑥 − 3)(𝑥 − 5) 5) (𝑥 − 3) 6) (𝑥 − 4)

7) (2𝑥 + 1)(𝑥 + 1) 8) (2𝑥 + 1)(𝑥 + 2) 9) (2𝑥 + 1)(𝑥 − 2)

Group C - Multiple brackets

Expand and simplify:
1) (𝑥 + 1)(𝑥 + 2)(𝑥 + 3) 2) (𝑥 − 1)(𝑥 + 2)(𝑥 + 3) 3) (𝑥 − 1)(𝑥 − 2)(𝑥 + 3)
2 3
4) (𝑥 − 1)(𝑥 − 2)(𝑥 − 3) 5) (2𝑥 + 1)(𝑥 − 3) 6) (𝑥 − 3)
3 3 3
7) (2𝑥 − 3) 8) (2𝑥 + 3) 9) (𝑥 − 1)(2𝑥 + 3)

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 GCSE Maths Revision | Algebra

Expanding Brackets - Worksheet

Applied

1) The length of the rectangle is 𝑥 + 3 and the

width is 𝑥 − 4.

Write an expression for the area of the

rectangle in expanded form.

2) The base of the triangle is equal to 2𝑥 − 2

and the height is 𝑥 + 6.

Write an expression for the area of the

triangle in expanded form.

3) The base of the cube is equal to 𝑥 − 4.

Write an expression for the volume of the

cube in expanded form.

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GCSE Maths Revision | Algebra

Expanding Brackets - Exam Questions

1) (a) Expand: 3(𝑥 − 2) ….……………

(1)

(b) Expand: 4𝑥(2𝑥 − 7) ….……………

(1)

(c) Expand and simplify: 5(𝑥 − 3) − 3(𝑥 + 5) ….……………

(2)
(4 marks)

2) (a) Expand: 𝑥(3 − 𝑥) ….……………

(1)

(b) Expand and simplify: (𝑥 − 2)(𝑥 − 7) ….……………

(2)

(c) Expand and simplify: (2𝑥 − 1)(𝑥 + 2) ….……………

(2)
(5 marks)

3) (a) Expand: − 2(9 − 3𝑥) ….……………

(1)

(b) Expand and simplify: (3𝑥 − 1)(𝑥 + 3) ….……………

(2)

(c) Expand and simplify: (𝑥 − 2)

3 ….……………
(3)
(6 marks)

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 GCSE Maths Revision | Algebra

Expanding Brackets - Answers

Question Answer

Skill Questions

Group A Expand and simplify:

1) 3(𝑥 + 4) 1) 3𝑥 + 12

2) 3(𝑥 + 5) 2) 3𝑥 + 15

3) 6(𝑥 + 5) 3) 6𝑥 + 30

4) − 6(𝑥 + 5) 4) − 6𝑥 − 30

5) − 6(𝑥 − 5) 5) − 6𝑥 + 30

6) 6𝑥(𝑥 − 5) 2
6) 6𝑥 − 30𝑥
7) 6𝑥(5 − 2𝑥) 7) 30𝑥 − 12𝑥
2

8) 6𝑦(5 − 2𝑦 + 3𝑥) 2
8) 30𝑦 − 12𝑦 + 18𝑥𝑦
9) − 6𝑥(2𝑥 − 3𝑦 − 5) 2
9) − 12𝑥 + 18𝑥𝑦 + 30𝑥

Group B Expand and simplify:

1) (𝑥 + 3)(𝑥 + 4) 2
1) 𝑥 + 7𝑥 + 12
2) (𝑥 + 3)(𝑥 + 5) 2
2) 𝑥 + 8𝑥 + 15
3) (𝑥 + 3)(𝑥 − 5) 2
3) 𝑥 − 2𝑥 − 15
4) (𝑥 − 3)(𝑥 − 5) 2
4) 𝑥 − 8𝑥 + 15
2 2
5) (𝑥 − 3) 5) 𝑥 − 6𝑥 + 9
2 2
6) (𝑥 − 4) 6) 𝑥 − 8𝑥 + 16
2
7) (2𝑥 + 1)(𝑥 + 1) 7) 2𝑥 + 3𝑥 + 1
2
8) (2𝑥 + 1)(𝑥 + 2) 8) 2𝑥 + 5𝑥 + 2
2
9) (2𝑥 + 1)(𝑥 − 2) 9) 2𝑥 − 3𝑥 − 2

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GCSE Maths Revision | Algebra

Expanding Brackets - Answers

Group C Expand and simplify:

1) (𝑥 + 1)(𝑥 + 2)(𝑥 + 3) 3 2
1) 𝑥 + 6𝑥 + 11𝑥 + 6

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

3) (𝑥 − 1)(𝑥 − 2)(𝑥 + 3) 3
3) 𝑥 − 7𝑥 + 6

4) (𝑥 − 1)(𝑥 − 2)(𝑥 − 3) 3 2
4) 𝑥 − 6𝑥 + 11𝑥 − 6

2 3 2
5) (2𝑥 + 1)(𝑥 − 3) 5) 2𝑥 − 11𝑥 + 12𝑥 + 9

2 3 2
6) (𝑥 − 3) 6) 𝑥 − 9𝑥 + 27𝑥 − 27

3 3 2
7) (2𝑥 − 3) 7) 8𝑥 − 36𝑥 + 54𝑥 − 27

3 3 2
8) (2𝑥 + 3) 8) 8𝑥 + 36𝑥 + 54𝑥 + 27

3 4 3 2
9) (𝑥 − 1)(2𝑥 + 3) 9) 8𝑥 + 28𝑥 + 18𝑥 − 27𝑥 − 27

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 GCSE Maths Revision | Algebra

Expanding Brackets - Answers

Question Answer

Applied Questions

The length of the rectangle is 𝑥 + 3 and the 2

1) 𝑥 − 𝑥 − 12
width is 𝑥 − 4.

Write an expression for the area of the

rectangle in expanded form.
The base of the triangle is equal to 2
2) 𝑥 + 5𝑥 − 6
2𝑥 − 2 and the height is 𝑥 + 6.

Write an expression for the area of the triangle

in expanded form.
The base of the cube is equal to 𝑥 − 4. 3 2
3) 𝑥 − 12𝑥 + 48𝑥 − 64

Write an expression for the volume of the cube

in expanded form.

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GCSE Maths Revision | Algebra

Expanding Brackets - Mark Scheme

Question Answer

Exam Questions

1) (a) Expand: (a) 3𝑥 − 6 (1)

3(𝑥 − 2)
(b) Expand: (b)
2
8𝑥 − 28𝑥 (1)

4𝑥(2𝑥 − 7)
(c) Expand and simplify: (c) 5𝑥 − 15 − 3𝑥 − 15 (1)
= 2𝑥 − 30 (1)
5(𝑥 − 3) − 3(𝑥 + 5)
2) (a) Expand: (a) 3𝑥 − 𝑥
2 (1)

𝑥(3 − 𝑥)
(b) Expand and simplify: (b) 2
𝑥 − 7𝑥 − 2𝑥 + 14 (1)
2
= 𝑥 − 9𝑥 + 14 (1)
(𝑥 − 2)(𝑥 − 7)
(c) Expand and simplify: (c) 2
2𝑥 + 4𝑥 − 𝑥 − 2 (1)
= 2𝑥 + 3𝑥 − 2
2 (1)
(2𝑥 − 1)(𝑥 + 2)
3) (a) Expand: (a) − 18 + 6𝑥 (1)

− 2(9 − 3𝑥)
(b) Expand and simplify: (b) 2
3𝑥 + 9𝑥 − 𝑥 − 3 (1)
= 3𝑥 + 8𝑥 − 3
2 (1)
(3𝑥 − 1)(𝑥 + 3)
(c) Expand and simplify: (c) (𝑥 − 2)(𝑥 − 4𝑥 + 4)
2
(1)
3 2
𝑥 − 2𝑥 − 4𝑥 + 8𝑥 + 4𝑥 − 8
2 (1)
3
(𝑥 − 2) 3 2 (1)
𝑥 − 6𝑥 + 12𝑥 − 8

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