How do you divide #(2x^2+10x+12) /(x+3) # using polynomial long division?

1 Answer
Nov 19, 2015

#(2x^2+10x+12)div(x+3) = (2x+4)# with remainder #(0)#

Explanation:

#{: (,,2x,+4,), (,,"------","------","------"), (x+3,")",2x^2,+10x,+12), (,,2x^2,+6x,), (,,"------","------","------"), (,,,4x,+12), (,,,4x,+12), (,,,"------","------"), (,,,,0) :}#

Detailed explanation (ignore if the above made adequate sense)

Starting from:
#{: (,,"------","------","------"), (x+3,")",2x^2,+10x,+12) :}#
considering only the first term of the divisor (#x#) and of the dividend (#2x^2#)
we see that #2x^2 div x = 2x#; so we write #2x# above #2x^2#
#{: (,,2x,,), (,,"------","------","------"), (x+3,")",2x^2,+10x,+12) :}#

now we multiply the divisor (#x+3#) by the term we just wrote above the line (i.e. #2x#) to get #2x^2+6x# which we write under the dividend
#{: (,,2x,+4,), (,,"------","------","------"), (x+3,")",2x^2,+10x,+12), (,,2x^2,+6x,) :}#

Subtract from the dividend
#{: (,,2x,+4,), (,,"------","------","------"), (x+3,")",2x^2,+10x,+12), (,,2x^2,+6x,), (,,"------","------","------"), (,,,4x,+12) :}#

Again using only the first term of the divisor (#x#) and the first term of our remainder (#4x#)
we see that (#4x div x = 4#; so we write #4# as the next term above the top line.
#{: (,,2x,+4,), (,,"------","------","------"), (x+3,")",2x^2,+10x,+12), (,,2x^2,+6x,), (,,"------","------","------"), (,,,4x,+12) :}#

Multiply the divisor (#x+3#) by the new quotient term (#+4#) to get #4x+12#; then subtract to get a final remainder of #0#
#{: (,,2x,+4,), (,,"------","------","------"), (x+3,")",2x^2,+10x,+12), (,,2x^2,+6x,), (,,"------","------","------"), (,,,4x,+12), (,,,4x,+12), (,,,"------","------"), (,,,,0) :}#