This section helps you recapitulate and revise some important skills in

manipulating algebraic expressions. Harder examples in manipulation of alge-

braic fractions are also dealt with.

Worked Example 1
Expand:
(a) (2x-3) (3x+7) (b) (a+2b) (2c+d)

Solution
(a) (2x-3) (3x+7) (b) (a+2b) (2c+d)
= 6x2 +14x - 9x - 21 = 2ac + ad + 4bc+ 2bd
= 6x2 + 5x -21

Worked Example 2
Remove the brackets:
(a) 3a - (2b + 3c) (b) -3a - (-2b-3c)

Solution
(a) 3a - (2b+3c) (b) -3a - (-2b - 3c)
=3a - 2b -3c = - 3a +2b + 3c

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Worked Example 3
Simplify the following:
(a) (a-b) + (b-c) - (c-a) (b) 4 (x + y - z) - 7( z - x + y)

Solution
(a) (a-b) + (b-c) - (c-a) (b) 4 (x + y - z) - 7( z - x + y)
=a-b+b-c-c+a = 4x +4y - 4z - 7z + 7x - 7y
= 2a -2c = 11x - 3y -11z

Worked Example 4
Factorise:
(a) 6x +12y (b) 25x2 - y2 (c) 15x2 +14x - 16

Solution
(a) 6x +12y (b) 25x2 - y2
=
6(x + 2y) = (5x + y) (5x - y)

(c) 15x2 + 14x - 16

= (3x - 2)( 5x + 8)

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Worked Example 5
x 1 2
Simplify 2
 .
x  3x  2 x  1

Solution
x 1 2 x 1 2
2
 = 
x  3 x  2 x  1 ( x  2)( x  1) x  1
x  1  2( x  2 )
=
( x  2 )( x  1)
x  1  2x  4
=
( x  2 )( x  1)
3x  3
=
( x  2 )( x  1)
3 ( x  1)
=
( x  2 )( x  1)
3
=
( x  2)

Exercise 2.1
1. Expand:
(a) (4a2b3) (4a2b3+2) (b) (2x – 3) (x +1)
(c) (x – 1) (2x + 4) (d) (4 – 3x) (x +3)
(e) (x – 2y) (x - 2y)2 (f) (3x + y) (x – 2y)
(g) (5a – 2b) (c + 2d) (h) (2a + b) (3c – d)
(i) (x +1 ) (x2 + 2x – 3) (j) (x – 2) ( 2x2 – x + 1)
(k) –4(p –1) (p+1) (l) (a – 4)2 (a + 1)

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2. Remove the brackets:
(a) p + (–4a – 3b) (b) 4a + ( –3b – 4c )
(c) 2a – ( –5b + 3c ) (d) 6a – ( –2b + 5c)
(e) – (2a + 7b) (f) (5a + 7b) 4c
(g) – a – (–3b – 4c ) (h) –x – ( –3y – 5z)
(i) –2z ( x – 3y + 4z) (j) ( 2a + 3b – 1) (– 4a2)

3. Simplify the following.

(a) 2x + y + ( x – 7y ) (b) a – 7b + (3a + 8b)
(c) (–7x – 7y) – (6x – 6y) (d) (x – y) + (y – x)
(e) (–x + y) – ( y – z ) (f) (–x – y) – (–y – x )
(g) (x – y ) – (y – z) – (z – x) (h) (x – y ) + (y – z) + (x – z)
(i) 4 (5a – 10b) –6 (5a – 6b) (j) –2 (–x – y) + 3(–2x + 2y)
(k) x( x – y ) – y( y – z) – z( z – x ) (l) x ( x – y ) – y ( y – x ) – z ( x – y )
(m) 8( x – y – z) –7 ( y – x + z ) (n) 7 ( a + b – c ) + 5 ( c – a + b )

4. Factorise the following:

(a) 5x + 10 (b) 3x + 6y
(c) x2 + x (d) x2 – 4
(e) 9x2 – y2 (f) 4x2 – 9
(g) 1 – 16a2 (h) x 2 – 4x -21
(i) 12x2 – 35x + 8 (j) 4x2 + 18x – 36
(k) 12 + x – x2 (l) 18 + 10x – 8x2

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5. Simplify the following.

x2  4 x 2  9 x2  9 3
(1)  (11) 2

x2 x 3 x  6x  9 x3

x2 16 5

7p 9
(2)  (12)
x4 x4 p  2 3p  6

2 x 2  18 4 x 2  100 6

1
(3)  (13)
x 9 x 5 ( x  3 )( x  3 ) ( x  3 )( x  2 )

4x 2 1 x2

x
(4)  (14)
2x 1 2x 1 ( x  3 )( x  2 ) ( x  3 )( x  3 )

5x 2 125 x
(5)  (15) 1 1
x 5 x5 x 1

6x 36 1
(6)  (16) x–
x 6 x6 1  1x

1 1 1 2
(7) 2
 2 (17) x– (x – 3)
x  3x  2 x  5x  6 x

1 1
1 1 x 1
(8)  (18) 1
 2
x 2  4x  3 x 2  5x  6 1 x2 x 1

3 2 2x 2  8
(9)  (19)
x 2  2x x 2  3x  2 6 x 2  11x  2

x 2  16 x 2  81 x2  x x2  1
(10)  (20) 
x4 x 9 x x 1

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