9th grade · Math · Unit 2 of 17
Polynomials
Add, subtract, expand and evaluate
What your child practices
Naming polynomials by terms and degree, combining like terms, subtracting polynomials, multiplying and dividing by a constant, and substituting values for x.
Alaska content standards learning standard: A-APR.1 · adding, subtracting and multiplying polynomials
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- Like terms have the same variable and exponent. Only combine those.
- To add polynomials, combine like terms.
- To expand, multiply each term inside the brackets: a(b + c) = ab + ac.
Example: (3x + 2) + (x − 5) = ? Combine the x terms: 3x + x = 4x. Combine the numbers: 2 − 5 = −3. Answer: 4x − 3
Polynomials in Alaska
In the Alaska content standards, this is unit 2 of 17 in 9th grade Math, after Exponents & Powers and before Multi-Step Equations.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
Source: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
Classify the polynomial 2x² + 8x + 8 by its number of terms.
- quadrinomial
- trinomial
- monomial
- binomial
trinomial
Hint: Count the terms: 2x² + 8x + 8 has 3. One term is a monomial, two a binomial, three a trinomial.
Question 2
What is the degree of −9x² + x + 7?
answer box
2
Hint: The degree is the highest exponent on the variable.
Question 3
Add: (9x² + 3x + 3) + (−4x² − 6x + 3)
- 5x² + 5x + 6
- 6x² − 3x + 6
- 5x² − 3x − 4
- 5x² − 5x + 6
- 5x² − 3x + 6
5x² − 3x + 6
Hint: Add the like terms: 9 + (−4) = 5, 3 + (−6) = -3, 3 + 3 = 6. The result is 5x² − 3x + 6.
Question 4
Subtract: (8x² + 4x − 3) − (−x² + 9x − 2)
- 9x² − 5x
- 9x² − 4x − 1
- 7x² + 13x − 5
- 9x² − 5x − 1
- 9x² + 13x − 5
9x² − 5x − 1
Hint: Subtracting a polynomial changes the sign of every term in it: 8x² + 4x − 3 + (x² − 9x + 2). Then combine like terms to get 9x² − 5x − 1.
Question 5
Expand: 2(5x² + 6x − 4)
- 10x² + 12x − 8
- 10x² + 12x − 4
- 10x² + 6x − 4
- 7x² + 8x − 2
- 10x² + 10x − 8
10x² + 12x − 8
Hint: Multiply every term inside the brackets by 2: 10x² + 12x − 8.
Question 6
Divide: (−15x² + 15x) ÷ 5
- −3x² + 15x
- −15x² + 15x
- −2x² + 3x
- −3x² + 3x
- −3x² + 3x + 1
−3x² + 3x
Hint: Divide every term by 5: 0, 15, -15 ÷ 5. The result is −3x² + 3x.