Question 33
6.3 Mind the Mistake, Mend the Mistake
We have expanded and simplified some algebraic expressions below to their simplest forms.
(i) Check each of the simplifications and see if there is a mistake. (ii) If there is a mistake, try to explain what could have gone wrong. (iii) Then write the correct expression.

We will carefully check each algebraic simplification by applying the rules of distribution, exponents, and combining like terms.
Step 1 — Checking Expression 1
Let us look at the first expression. We need to apply the distributive property.
The given simplification incorrectly distributes as only and then adds . We must multiply by each term inside the parentheses.
Step 2 — Checking Expression 2
Let us check the second expression. We need to distribute the numbers outside the parentheses.
The given simplification did not multiply by . It should be .
Now, we combine the like terms.
Step 3 — Checking Expression 3
Let us examine the third expression. We need to distribute the and then combine like terms.
The given simplification incorrectly assumed the expression was . These are different expressions.
Now, we combine the like terms.
Step 4 — Checking Expression 4
Let us look at the fourth expression. We need to square the binomial .
The given simplification missed the middle term. When we square a binomial , the result is .
Step 5 — Checking Expression 5
Let us check the fifth expression. We need to square the binomial .
The given simplification is correct. We can use the formula .
Step 6 — Checking Expression 6
Let us examine the sixth expression. We need to multiply the terms.
The given simplification incorrectly distributed to both and . We should first multiply the terms inside the parentheses.
Step 7 — Checking Expression 7
Let us look at the seventh expression. We need to distribute and then combine constants.
The given simplification is correct. We distribute to each term inside the parentheses.
Step 8 — Checking Expression 8
Let us check the eighth expression. We need to combine the terms.
The given simplification incorrectly added unlike terms. Terms can only be added if they have the same variable raised to the same power. and are not like terms.
This expression cannot be simplified further.
Step 9 — Checking Expression 9
Let us examine the ninth expression. We need to combine the terms.
The given simplification incorrectly added unlike terms. All terms in the original expression have different variable combinations or powers.
This expression cannot be simplified further.
Step 10 — Checking Expression 10
Let us look at the tenth expression. We need to multiply the two binomials.
The given simplification is correct. We use the distributive property (also known as FOIL method) to multiply each term.
Step 11 — Checking Expression 11
Let us check the eleventh expression. We need to multiply the two binomials.
The given simplification only multiplied the first terms () and the last terms (). It missed the inner and outer products.
Step 12 — Checking Expression 12
Let us examine the twelfth expression. We need to factor out the common term.
The given simplification is correct. We can see that is a common factor in all terms.
We can rearrange the terms inside the parentheses.
Answer
(i) Expressions 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, and 11 contain mistakes. (ii) For Expression 1, the distributive property was not applied to all terms inside the parentheses. For Expression 2, the distributive property was not applied correctly to the first term, . For Expression 3, the expression was incorrectly assumed to be a squared binomial, . For Expression 4, the middle term () was missed when squaring the binomial . For Expression 6, the multiplication inside the parentheses was incorrectly distributed with the outside term. For Expression 8, unlike terms ( and ) were incorrectly added together. For Expression 9, unlike terms were incorrectly added and combined. For Expression 11, only the first and last terms were multiplied when expanding the binomials. (iii) The correct expressions are: Expression 1: Expression 2: Expression 3: Expression 4: Expression 6: Expression 8: Expression 9: Expression 11:
More questions in IT
Context: Consider the multiplication of two numbers, say, 23 × 27.
Q. By how much does the product increase if the first number (23) is increased by 1?
Context: Consider the multiplication of two numbers, say, 23 × 27.
Q. What if the second number (27) is increased by 1?
Context: Consider the multiplication of two numbers, say, 23 × 27.
Q. How about when both numbers are increased by 1?
Context: Consider the multiplication of two numbers, say, 23 × 27.
Q. Do you see a pattern that could help generalise our observations to the product of any two numbers?
What would we get if we had expanded by first taking as a single term? Try it!
Will the product always increase? Find 3 examples where the product decreases.
What happens when and are negative integers?
Check by substituting different values for and in each of the above cases. For example, ; etc.
Use Identity 1 to find how the product changes when
(i) one number is decreased by 2 and the other increased by 3;
(ii) both numbers are decreased, one by 3 and the other by 4.
Verify the answers by finding the products without converting the subtractions to additions.
Expand (i) , (ii) .
Use the following multiplications to find the product of a number with 11 in a single step.
(a) (b)
Describe a general rule to multiply a number (of any number of digits) by 11 and write the product in one line.
Evaluate: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv)
Can we come up with a similar rule for multiplying a number by 101?
Multiply 3874 by 101.
Use this to multiply in one line.
What could be a general rule to multiply a number by 101 and write the product in one line? Extend this rule for multiplication by 1001, 10001, ...
Use this to find (i) , (ii) , (iii) , (iv) , (v) and (vi) .
The area of a square of sidelength 60 units is 3600 sq. units () and that of a square of sidelength 5 units is 25 sq. units (). Can we use this to find the area of a square of sidelength 65 units?
What if we write as or ? Draw the figures and check the area that you get.
If and are any two integers, is always greater than ? If not, when is it greater?
Use Identity 1A to find the values of , . (Hint: Decompose 104 and 37 into sums or differences of numbers whose squares are easy to compute.)
Use Identity 1A to write the expressions for the following.
(i)
(ii)
Expand using both the identity and by applying the distributive property.
Find the general expansion of using geometry, as we did for .
Use the identity to find the values of (a) and (b) .
Expand the following using both Identity 1B and by applying the distributive property
(i) (ii) (iii)
Take a pair of natural numbers. Calculate the sum of their squares. Can you write twice this sum as a sum of two squares?
Try this with other pairs of numbers. Have you figured out a pattern?
Notice that .
Do the identities below help in explaining the observed pattern?
Adding the like terms , and , we get
Pattern 2
Here is a related pattern. Try to describe the pattern using algebra to determine if the pattern always holds.
Use Identity 1C to calculate , and .
Show that geometrically.
Context: Sridharacharya (750 CE) gave an interesting method to quickly compute the squares of numbers using Identity 1C! Consider the following modified form of this identity —
Q. Why is this identity true?
6.3 Mind the Mistake, Mend the Mistake
We have expanded and simplified some algebraic expressions below to their simplest forms.
(i) Check each of the simplifications and see if there is a mistake. (ii) If there is a mistake, try to explain what could have gone wrong. (iii) Then write the correct expression.
6.4 This Way or That Way, All Ways Lead to the Bay
Observe the pattern in the figure below. Draw the next figure in the sequence. How many circles does it have? How many total circles are there in Step 10? Write an expression for the number of circles in Step k.
Context: The expression gives the number of circles at Step of a pattern.
Q. Use this formula to find the number of circles in Step 15.
Consider the pattern made of square tiles in the picture below.
(i) How many square tiles are there in each figure? (ii) How many are there in Step 4 of the sequence? What about Step 10? (iii) Write an algebraic expression for the number of tiles in Step . Share your methods with the class. Can you find more than one method to arrive at the answer?
Context: Consider the pattern made of square tiles in the picture below.
Q. How many square tiles are there in each figure?
Context: Consider the pattern made of square tiles in the picture below.
Q. How many are there in Step 4 of the sequence? What about Step 10?
Context: Consider the pattern made of square tiles in the picture below.
Q. Write an algebraic expression for the number of tiles in Step . Share your methods with the class. Can you find more than one method to arrive at the answer?
By expanding both expressions, check that .
By expanding the expressions, verify that all three expressions are equivalent. If and , find the area of the shaded region.
Write an expression for the area of the dashed region in the figure below. Use more than one method to arrive at the answer. Substitute , , and , and calculate the area.