Expanding the Expression: (x-3)(x^2+2x+1)
This article will walk through the process of expanding the given expression, (x-3)(x^2+2x+1). We will utilize the distributive property and simplify the result.
Understanding the Problem
The expression is a product of two factors:
- (x-3): This is a binomial, meaning it contains two terms.
- (x^2+2x+1): This is a trinomial, containing three terms.
The Distributive Property
To expand the expression, we can use the distributive property, which states that:
a(b + c) = ab + ac
This means we need to multiply each term in the first factor by each term in the second factor.
Expanding the Expression
Let's apply the distributive property step by step:
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Multiply (x-3) by x^2: (x-3) * x^2 = xx^2 - 3x^2 = x^3 - 3x^2
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Multiply (x-3) by 2x: (x-3) * 2x = x2x - 32x = 2x^2 - 6x
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Multiply (x-3) by 1: (x-3) * 1 = x1 - 31 = x - 3
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Combine all terms: x^3 - 3x^2 + 2x^2 - 6x + x - 3 = x^3 - x^2 - 5x - 3
Final Result
Therefore, the expanded form of (x-3)(x^2+2x+1) is x^3 - x^2 - 5x - 3.