9th grade · Math · Unit 2 of 22
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.
New York State Learning Standards learning standard: AI-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 New York
In the New York State Learning Standards, this is unit 2 of 22 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.
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 8x² by its number of terms.
- binomial
- monomial
- quadrinomial
- trinomial
monomial
Hint: Count the terms: 8x² has 1. One term is a monomial, two a binomial, three a trinomial.
Question 2
What is the degree of −7x?
answer box
1
Hint: The degree is the highest exponent on the variable.
Question 3
Add: (x² + 4x − 4) + (x² + 8x + 4)
- 2x² − 13x
- 2x² + 11x
- 2x² + 14x
- 2x² + 12x
- 4x² + 12x
2x² + 12x
Hint: Add the like terms: 1 + 1 = 2, 4 + 8 = 12, -4 + 4 = 0. The result is 2x² + 12x.
Question 4
Subtract: (−2x² + 9) − (−2x² + 4x − 2)
- −4x + 11
- −4x + 12
- −4x² + 4x + 7
- −4x − 9
- 4x + 7
−4x + 11
Hint: Subtracting a polynomial changes the sign of every term in it: −2x² + 9 + (2x² − 4x + 2). Then combine like terms to get −4x + 11.
Question 5
Expand: −6(6x² + 2x + 4)
- −36x² + 2x + 4
- −4x − 2
- −36x² − 14x − 24
- −36x² − 12x − 24
- −36x² − 12x + 4
−36x² − 12x − 24
Hint: Multiply every term inside the brackets by −6: −36x² − 12x − 24.
Question 6
Divide: (12x² − 2x + 10) ÷ 2
- 6x² − x + 5
- 12x² − 2x + 5
- 6x² − 2x + 10
- 6x² − x + 6
- 6x² − x + 7
6x² − x + 5
Hint: Divide every term by 2: 10, -2, 12 ÷ 2. The result is 6x² − x + 5.