Expanding Expressions and Simplifying

Expanding removes brackets using the distributive law, \(a(b + c) = ab + ac\). In NSW Year 8 maths every term inside the bracket is multiplied by the term outside, sign and all, and like terms are then collected (NESA outcome MA4‑ALG‑C‑01).

You will expand brackets with negative and pronumeral terms in front, such as \(-x(3x + 2)\) and \(5m(3m - 4)\), take care when a bracket is subtracted, as in \(24 - 7(x + 3)\), and simplify sums of two expanded brackets. You will check an answer by substituting a value. The total cost of a canteen order and the combined area of two rectangles are both found by expanding. It is part of Year 8 Algebra.