MASENO SCHOOL

Topic 9: BINOMIAL EXPANSION

1. Expand  2  x  in descending powers of x up to the 4th term hence evaluate 2.025 .

2. Expand 1  a  up to the 5th term hence evaluate 0.86 .

3. Expand 1  3x  up to the term containing x 3 hence evaluate 0.97 5 correct to 4 significant figures.
5

4. Expand  3  2x  up to the fourth term hence evaluate 2.946 correct to four decimal places.
6

5
 3
5. Expand  2   hence find the exact value of 9.55 .
 x
6 6
 1  2
6. Expand  x   up to the term independent of x hence estimate the value of  2  .
 x  3
8
 1
7. Express  2   in descending powers of x up to the fifth term hence evaluate 2.048 .
 x
7
 1 
8. Expand  2  x  up to the fifth term hence evaluate 1.087 correct to 4 decimal places.
 5 
9. Expand and simplify  3x  y  hence evaluate 1.5  0.2  .
4 4

7
 x
10. Write down the first five terms of the expansion 1   hence evaluate 1.027 to 4 decimal places
 3
4
 y
11. Expand  3x   completely, hence by substituting suitable values of x and y , evaluate 29.54 .
 3
5
 3
12. Expand  x   in ascending powers of x hence use the expansion to evaluate 10.35 .
 x
5
 2
13. Expand 10   hence evaluate 145
 x

 
3
14. Expand 9 x2  6 x  1 hence evaluate 1.966 correct to five significant figures.
6 6
 1  1
15. Expand and simplify the expression  a     a  
 2   2
5 5
 1   1 
16. Use binomial expansion to evaluate  2   2 
 2  2

 
3
17. The sides of a square are 3  2 cm and its hypotenuse is h cm . Without using a calculator, find h 2 .
4
2  2 
18. Express in the form a  b c where a, b and c are integers, hence evaluate  
5 2 7 5 2 7
448
19. Given that  2  ax   128  x  px 2  ... , find the values of a, n and p .
n

3
9
 x 63
20. The coefficient of x 4 in the expansion  a   is . Determine the 8th term.
 4  4
 P a g e | 2 - Binomial Expansion by Mr. Patrick Mboya

Answers
1. x 5  10 x 4  40 x 3  80 x 2  80 x  32 , put x  0.02 , 33.6323216
2. 1  6a  15a 2  20a 3  15a 4 , put a  0.2 , 0.264
3. 1  15 x  90 x 2  270 x 3 , put x  0.01 , 0.8587
4. 729  2916 x  4860 x 2  4320 x 3 , put x  0.03 , 645.7774
3
5. 32  240 x 1  720 x 2  1080 x 3  810 x 4  243 x 5 , put x  0.4 , 77378
32
6. x 6  6 x 4  15 x 2  20 , put x  3 , 358
7. 256  1024 x 1  1792 x 2  1792 x 3  1120 x 4 , put x  25 , 299.9447552
448 672 2 112 3 56 4
8. 128  x x  x  x , put x  4.6 , 49.1455
5 25 25 125
9. 81x4  108x3 y  54x2 y 2  12xy3  y 4 , put x  0.5, y  0.2 , 2.8561
7 7 35 3 35 4
10. 1  x  x 2  x  x , put x  0.06 , 1.1486856
3 3 27 81
4 1
11. 81x 4  36 x3 y  6 x 2 y 2  xy 3  y 4 , put x  10, y  1.5 , 757335.0625
9 81
270 405 243
12. x5  15 x3  90 x   3  5 , put x  10 , 115927.4074
x x x
100000 40000 8000 800 32
13. 100000    3  4  5 , put x  0.5 , 537824
x x2 x x x
3
14.  3x  1    3x  1  7296  1458 x5  1215 x 4  540 x3  135 x 2  18 x  1 , put x  0.32 , 56.69391238
2 6
 
15 4 15 2 1
15. 2a 6  a  a 
2 8 32
401
16. 2
4

17. 7414  5220 2

18. 78404  55440 2