In Exercises 9–22, multiply the monomial and the polynomial.−4xⁿ (3x²ⁿ − 5xⁿ + 1/2 x)
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Identify the expression to be multiplied: \(-4x^n\) and \((3x^{2n} - 5x^n + \frac{1}{2}x)\).
Apply the distributive property: multiply \(-4x^n\) by each term inside the parentheses.
Multiply \(-4x^n\) by the first term \(3x^{2n}\): \(-4x^n \cdot 3x^{2n} = -12x^{3n}\).
Multiply \(-4x^n\) by the second term \(-5x^n\): \(-4x^n \cdot (-5x^n) = 20x^{2n}\).
Multiply \(-4x^n\) by the third term \(\frac{1}{2}x\): \(-4x^n \cdot \frac{1}{2}x = -2x^{n+1}\).
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Monomials
A monomial is a mathematical expression that consists of a single term, which can be a constant, a variable, or a product of constants and variables raised to non-negative integer powers. In the given question, −4xⁿ is a monomial that will be multiplied by each term of the polynomial.
A polynomial is an algebraic expression that consists of one or more terms, where each term includes a coefficient and a variable raised to a non-negative integer exponent. The expression (3x²ⁿ − 5xⁿ + 1/2 x) is a polynomial with three terms, and understanding how to manipulate polynomials is essential for performing operations like multiplication.
The distributive property is a fundamental algebraic principle that states a(b + c) = ab + ac. This property is crucial when multiplying a monomial by a polynomial, as it allows you to distribute the monomial across each term of the polynomial, ensuring that all terms are accounted for in the final expression.