In Exercises 1–16, divide using long division. State the quotient, and the remainder, r(x). (2x3+7x2+9x−20)/(x+3)
Verified step by step guidance
1
Set up the long division by writing the dividend under the division bar and the divisor outside the division bar.
Divide the leading term of the dividend, , by the leading term of the divisor, , to get the first term of the quotient: .
Multiply the entire divisor by this term and subtract the result from the dividend to find the new polynomial to bring down.
Repeat the process: divide the leading term of the new polynomial by , multiply the divisor by this term, subtract, and continue until the degree of the remainder is less than the degree of the divisor.
Express the final answer as the quotient polynomial plus the remainder over the divisor, in the form .
Verified video answer for a similar problem:
This video solution was recommended by our tutors as helpful for the problem above
Video duration:
5m
Play a video:
Was this helpful?
Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Polynomial Long Division
Polynomial long division is a method used to divide a polynomial by another polynomial of lower degree, similar to numerical long division. It involves dividing the leading term of the dividend by the leading term of the divisor, multiplying, subtracting, and repeating until the remainder has a lower degree than the divisor.
When dividing polynomials, the result consists of a quotient and a remainder. The quotient is the polynomial obtained from the division process, and the remainder is the leftover polynomial with a degree less than the divisor. The division can be expressed as dividend = divisor × quotient + remainder.
The degree of a polynomial is the highest power of the variable in the polynomial. Understanding the degree is essential in polynomial division because the division process continues until the remainder's degree is less than the divisor's degree, indicating the division is complete.