IGCSE/O LEVEL

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BINOMIAL THEOREM

Past Papers
(2011-2021)
Including Variants
 冢 冣 , where n is a positive integer, is 35 .
x n For
2 The coefficient of x2 in the expansion of 1 + Examiner’s
5 Use
(i) Find the value of n. [4]

(ii) Using this value of n, find the term independent of x in the expansion of

冢 冣冢 冣.
x n 3 2
1+ 2– [4]
5 x

© UCLES 2011 4037/11/O/N/11

3 (a) Find the coefficient of x3 in the expansion of For
Examiner’s
(i) (1 – 2x)7, [2] Use

(ii) (3 + 4x)(1 – 2x)7. [3]

(b) Find the term independent of x in the expansion of 冢 冣

3 6
x + ––2 .
x
[3]

© UCLES 2012 4037/22/M/J/12 [Turn over

4 In the expansion of (p + x)6, where p is a positive integer, the coefficient of x2 is equal to For
1.5 times the coefficient of x3. Examiner’s
Use

(i) Find the value of p. [4]

冢 冣
(ii) Use your value of p to find the term independent of x in the expansion of (p + x)6 1– 1 .
x
[3]

© UCLES 2012 4037/13/O/N/12

5 (i) Find the coefficient of x5 in the expansion of (2 – x)8. [2] For
Examiner’s
Use

(ii) Find the coefficient of x5 in the expansion of (l + 2x)(2 – x)8. [3]

© UCLES 2012 4037/22/O/N/12

 1 n
6 (i) Given that n is a positive integer, find the first 3 terms in the expansion of c1 + xm  in For
2 Examiner’s
ascendingpowersofx. [2] Use

1 n 25
(ii) Giventhatthecoefficientofx2intheexpansionof(1–x) c1 + xm is ,findthevalue
2 4
ofn. [5]

©UCLES2013 4037/12/M/J/13
7 (i) Find the first four terms in the expansion of (2 + x) 6 in ascending powers of x. [3] For
Examiner’s
Use

(ii) Hence find the coefficient of x3 in the expansion of ^1 + 3xh^1 - xh^2 + xh6 . [4]

© UCLES 2013 4037/21/M/J/13 [Turn over

8 The coefficient of x 2 in the expansion of ^2 + pxh6 is 60. For
Examiner’s
Use
(i) Find the value of the positive constant p. [3]

(ii) Using your value of p, find the coefficient of x 2 in the expansion of ^3 - xh^2 + pxh6 . [3]

© UCLES 2013 4037/13/O/N/13 [Turn over

9 (a) Find the coefficient of x 5 in the expansion of ^3 - 2xh8 . [2]

(b) (i) Write down the first three terms in the expansion of ^1 + 2xh6 in ascending powers of x. [2]

(ii) In the expansion of ^1 + axh^1 + 2xh6 , the coefficient of x 2 is 1.5 times the coefficient of x.
Find the value of the constant a. [4]

© UCLES 2014 4037/21/M/J/14

10 (i) Find and simplify the first three terms of the expansion, in ascending powers of x, of ^1 - 4xh5 .
[2]

(ii) The first three terms in the expansion of ^1 - 4xh5 ^1 + ax + bx 2h are 1 - 23x + 222x 2 . Find the
value of each of the constants a and b. [4]

© UCLES 2014 4037/22/M/J/14

11 (i) Find the first 4 terms in the expansion of ^2 + x 2h6 in ascending powers of x. [3]

2
(ii) Find the term independent of x in the expansion of ^2 + x 2h6 c1 - 3 m . [3]
2
x

© UCLES 2015 4037/11/M/J/15

12 In the expansion of ^1 + 2xhn , the coefficient of x 4 is ten times the coefficient of x 2 . Find the value of
the positive integer, n. [6]

© UCLES 2015 4037/22/M/J/15

13 (a) Given that the first 4 terms in the expansion of (2 + kx) 8  are 256 + 256x + px 2 + qx 3 , find the
valueofk,ofpandofq. [3]

2 9
(b) Findthetermthatisindependentof xintheexpansionof c x - m . [3]
x2

©UCLES2015 4037/13/O/N/15
14 (i) Find,inthesimplestform,thefirst3termsoftheexpansionof (2 - 3x) 6 ,inascendingpowers
ofx. [3]

(ii) Findthecoefficientof x 2 intheexpansionof(1 + 2x) (2 - 3x) 6 . [2]

©UCLES2015 4037/22/O/N/15
 1 5 b c
15 (i) The first 3 terms in the expansion of c2 - m are a+ + . Find the value of each of the
4x x x2
integers a, b and c. [3]

1 m5 ^
(ii) Hence find the term independent of x in the expansion of c2 - 3 + 4xh. [2]
4x

© UCLES 2016 4037/12/M/J/16

16 (a) (i) Use the Binomial Theorem to expand ^a + bh4 , giving each term in its simplest form. [2]

J 1N
4
(ii) Hence find the term independent of x in the expansion of K2x + O . [2]
L 5xP

J xN
n
5n
3
(b) The coefficient of x in the expansion of 1 +
K O equals . Find the value of the positive
2P 12
integer n. L [3]

© UCLES 2016 4037/21/M/J/16

 J 1N
5
17 2
(i) Find the first 3 terms in the expansion of 2x -
K O , in descending powers of x. [3]
L 3xP

1 NJ 1N
J 5
(ii) Hence find the coefficient of x7 in the expansion of K3 + 3OK2x 2 - O . [2]
L x PL 3xP

© UCLES 2016 4037/12/O/N/16

18

J Nn
13 The first 3 terms in the expansion of KK3 - x OO are 81 + ax + bx 2 . Find the value of each of the constants
n, a and b. L 6P [5]

© UCLES 2017 4037/12/M/J/17

 J x 2NO
5
19 K
(i) Find, in ascending powers of x, the first 3 terms in the expansion of K2 - O . [3]
L 4P

J x 2NO JK1 3 NO
5 2
K
(ii) Hence find the term independent of x in the expansion of K2 - O K - 2O . [3]
L 4 P Lx x P

© UCLES 2017 4037/12/O/N/17 [Turn over

 2 6
(i) Find, in ascending powers of x, the first 3 terms in the expansion of c2 - m . Give each term in
20 x
4
its simplest form. [3]

6 2
Hence find the coefficient of x in the expansion of c2 - m c + xm .
2 x2 1
(ii) [4]
4 x

© UCLES 2017 4037/13/O/N/17 [Turn over

 J 1 NO
8
21 K
(i) Find the first 3 terms in the expansion of K2x - O in descending powers of x. [3]
L 16xP

J 1 NO JK 1
8 N2
(ii) Hence find the coefficient of x4 in the expansion of KK2x - O K 2 + 1OO . [3]
L 16 x P L x P

© UCLES 2018 4037/11/M/J/18

 J 1 ON
5
22 K b c
(i) The first three terms in the expansion of K3 - O can be written as a + + 2 . Find the value
9xP x x
of each of the constants a, b and c. L [3]

(ii) Use your values of a, b and c to find the term independent of x in the expansion of
J N5
KK3 - 1 OO (2 + 9x) 2 . [3]
L 9x P

© UCLES 2018 4037/12/M/J/18 [Turn over

23 The 7th term in the expansion of (a + bx) 12 in ascending powers of x is 924x 6 . It is given that a and b are
positive constants.
1
(i) Show that b = . [2]
a

The 6th term in the expansion of (a + bx) 12 in ascending powers of x is 198x 5 .

(ii) Find the value of a and of b. [4]

© UCLES 2018 4037/12/O/N/18 [Turn over

 The first 3 terms, in ascending powers of x, in the expansion of `2 + bxj
8
24 (i) can be written as
a + 256x + cx2. Find the value of each of the constants a, b and c. [4]

(ii) Using the values found in part (i), find the term independent of x in the expansion of

`2 + bxj b2x - 3l .
8 2
[3]
x

© UCLES 2019 4037/11/M/J/19

 (a) In the binomial expansion of ba - l , the coefficient of x 3 is 120 times the coefficient of x 5 . Find
25 x6
2
the possible values of the constant a. [4]

(b) (i) Expand (1 + 2x) 20 in ascending powers of x, as far as the term in x 3. Simplify each term. [2]

(ii) Use your expansion to show that the value of 0.9820 is 0.67 to 2 decimal places. [2]

© UCLES 2019 4037/22/M/J/19 [Turn over

26 The first three terms in the expansion of b1 - x l (1 - 2x) 4 can be written as 1 + ax + bx 2 . Find the value
14

7
of each of the constants a and b. [6]

© UCLES 2019 4037/12/O/N/19 [Turn over

27 The first four terms in the expansion of (1 + ax) 5 (2 + bx) are 2 + 32x + 210x 2 + cx 3 , where a, b and c are
integers. Show that 3a 2 - 16a + 21 = 0 and hence find the values of a, b and c. [8]

© UCLES 2019 4037/23/O/N/19

28 (a) Find the first 3 terms in the expansion of b4 - x l in ascending powers of x. Give each term in
6

16
its simplest form. [3]

x 6b
(b) Hence find the term independent of x in the expansion of b4 - l x - 1l .
2
[3]
16 x

© UCLES 2020 4037/12/M/J/20

29 (a) Expand (2 - x) 5, simplifying each coefficient. [3]

e (2 - x) # e 80x
5

= e -x .
5
(b) Hence solve [4]
e 10x + 32
4

© UCLES 2020 4037/21/M/J/20

30

(1 + x) b1 - l
25 Given that the coefficient of x 2 in the expansion of xn 25
is , find the value of the
2 4
positive integer n. [5]

© UCLES 2020 4037/13/O/N/20

 8
31 (a) Find the first three terms, in ascending powers of x 2 , in the expansion of e 1 - 2 x 2o . Write your
2 3
coefficients as rational numbers. [3]

8
(b) Find the coefficient of x 2 in the expansion of e - x 2o b2x + l .
2
1 2 1
[3]
2 3 x

© UCLES 2021 4037/13/O/N/21

32 (a) Expand (2 - 3x) 4 , evaluating all of the coefficients. [4]

(b) The sum of the first three terms in ascending powers of x in the expansion of (2 - 3x) 4 b1 + l
a
x
32
is + b + cx , where a, b and c are integers. Find the values of each of a, b and c. [4]
x

© UCLES 2021 4037/22/O/N/21

 Answers

1.(i) −27.5 16a. (i): 𝑎* + 4𝑎( 𝑏 + 6𝑎" 𝑏" + 4𝑎𝑏( + 𝑏*

"*
(ii) 38.5 (ii)
",

2.(i) 𝑛 = 6 16b. 𝑛 = 6
(ii) −5 -+ -+
17.(i) 32𝑥 &+ - (
𝑥. + /
𝑥*
3a.(i) −280
(ii) −48
(ii) -504 (
18. 𝑛 = 4, 𝑎 = −18, 𝑏 =
"
3b. 135
19.(i) 32 − 20𝑥 " + 5𝑥 *
4.(i) 𝑝 = 2
(ii) 25
(ii) −80
20.(i) 64 − 48𝑥 " + 15𝑥 *
5.(i) −448
(ii) -17
(ii) 1792
! #(#%&) ! " 21.(i) 256𝑥 - − 64𝑥 ) + 7𝑥 *
6.(i) 1 + 𝑛(") + "
(" )
(ii) 135
(ii) 𝑛 = 10 &+
22.(i) 𝑎 = 243, 𝑏 = −45, 𝑐 = (
" (
7.(i) 64 + 192𝑥 + 240𝑥 + 160𝑥
(ii) −378
(ii) 64
&
& 23.(ii) 𝑎 = , 𝑏 = 2
8.(i) 𝑃 = " "
&
(ii) 84 24.(i) 𝑎 = 256, 𝑏 = * , 𝑐 = 112

9a. −48384 (ii) 2064

9b.(i) 1 + 12𝑥 + 60𝑥 " 25a. 𝑎 = 3

(ii) −4 25b.(i): 1 + 40𝑥 + 760𝑥 " + 9120𝑥 (

10.(i) 1 − 20𝑥 + 160𝑥 " (ii) 0.66688

"/(
(ii) 𝑎 = −3, 𝑏 = 2 26. 𝑎 = −10, 𝑏 = .
" ( )
11.(i) 64 + 192𝑥 + 240𝑥 + 160𝑥 27. 𝑎 = 3, 𝑏 = 2, 𝑐 = 720
(ii) 1072 28a. 4096 − 384𝑥 + 15𝑥 "
12. 𝑛 = 8 28b. −8177
&
13a. 𝑘 = * , 𝑝 = 112, 𝑞 = 28 29a. 32 − 80𝑥 + 80𝑥 " − 40𝑥 ( + 10𝑥 * − 𝑥 ,

13b. −672 29b. 𝑥 = 0, 𝑥 = 2

14.(i) 64 – 576𝑥 + 2160𝑥 " 30. 𝑛 = 10

(ii) 1008 & !! .! "
31a. ",) − "* + ()
"+ ,
15.(i) 32 − !
+ !!
",
31b. ,.)
(ii) 16

32a. 32 − 96𝑥 + 216𝑥 " − 216𝑥 ( + 81𝑥 *

32b. 𝑎 = 2, 𝑏 = −176, 𝑐 = 336