What is the coefficient of x in the expansion of (x-3)^7?

1 Answer
Mar 1, 2018

#5103#

Explanation:

I don't know if you have learnt about Pascal's triangle,
and how to expand a binomial from it

https://www.mathsisfun.com/pascals-triangle.html

We can for example expand binomial, (possible see more here)

#(x+y)^0=1#

#(x+y)^1=x+y#

#(x+y)^2=x^2+2xy+y^2#

#(x+y)^3=x^3+3x^2y+3xy^2+y^3#

And so on
Notice how the binomial expansion depends of the lines of pascal's triangle,

We can also see the term involving #x# is always the second last

We look for

#(x+y)^7=x^7+7x^6y+...+color(red)(7xy^6)+y^7#

We only care about #7xy^6#, cause it's the only term involving #x#
In your example #y=-3#, thus

#color(blue)(7(-3)^6)x=color(blue)(7*729)x=color(blue)(5103)x#

The coefficient of #x# is #5103#