Multiplication
Special Products
We saw that when we multiply two binomials we need to make sure that each term in the first binomial multiplies with each term in the second binomial. Let’s look at another example.
Multiply two linear binomials: (2x + 3)(x + 4). We obtain 2x2 + 8x + 3x +12, a quadratic polynomial with four terms. The middle terms are like terms and we can combine them. We simplify and get: 2x2 + 11x + 12. The product is a quadratic or 2nd degree trinomial, a polynomial with three terms.
Every time two linear binomials with one variable are multiplied, the result is a quadratic polynomial. This section will introduce special products of binomials.