IGCSE›Edexcel IGCSE Maths›Mind mapsExpanding BracketsEdexcel IGCSE Maths: Mind mapStudy pack PDFAlso for this subtopic:Revision notesFlashcardsSubtopic testCover factsSingle bracketMultiply every term inside by the term outside3(x+4)=3x+123(x+4)=3x+123(x+4)=3x+12−2(x−5)=−2x+10-2(x-5)=-2x+10−2(x−5)=−2x+10Terms in answer match terms in the bracketDouble bracketsFOIL: First, Outer, Inner, Last(x+2)(x+5)=x2+7x+10(x+2)(x+5)=x^2+7x+10(x+2)(x+5)=x2+7x+10Write all four products firstCollect like terms at the end(x−3)(x+4)=x2+x−12(x-3)(x+4)=x^2+x-12(x−3)(x+4)=x2+x−12Squared brackets(x+3)2(x+3)^2(x+3)2 means (x+3)(x+3)(x+3)(x+3)(x+3)(x+3)(a+b)2=a2+2ab+b2(a+b)^2=a^2+2ab+b^2(a+b)2=a2+2ab+b2(a−b)2=a2−2ab+b2(a-b)^2=a^2-2ab+b^2(a−b)2=a2−2ab+b2(x+3)2=x2+6x+9(x+3)^2=x^2+6x+9(x+3)2=x2+6x+9Expandingremoving bracketsFOIL(a+b)2(a+b)^2(a+b)2Triple bracketsExpand two brackets firstThen multiply by the third(x+1)(x+2)=x2+3x+2(x+1)(x+2)=x^2+3x+2(x+1)(x+2)=x2+3x+2(x+1)(x+2)(x+3)=x3+6x2+11x+6(x+1)(x+2)(x+3)=x^3+6x^2+11x+6(x+1)(x+2)(x+3)=x3+6x2+11x+6Gives a cubic expressionLink to factorisingExpanding and factorising are inversesx2+7x+10=(x+2)(x+5)x^2+7x+10=(x+2)(x+5)x2+7x+10=(x+2)(x+5)Factorise your answer to check itExam tips3(x+4)≠3x+43(x+4)\neq3x+43(x+4)=3x+4(x+3)2≠x2+9(x+3)^2\neq x^2+9(x+3)2=x2+9A negative outside flips every sign inside