How do you simplify (2x + 1) (x - 5)?

1 Answer
Mar 3, 2018

2x^2-9x-5

Explanation:

There is a method I learned called "FOIL"
F = multiply the first terms
O = multiply the outer terms
I = multiply the inner terms
L = multiply the last terms
and add all these up

If the polynomials were (a + b)(c + d), using "FOIL" would look like this:
"F" + "O" + "I" + "L"
ac + ad + bc + bd

Using (2x+1)(x-5)
(2x)(x) + (2x)(-5) + (1)(x) + (1)(-5)
Simplify
2x^2-10x+x-5
2x^2-9x-5