Answer:
(A) (5/2)x^3 -(9/4)x^2 +(7/2)x -3/2
(B) No. The factor 1/4x -1/2 is not the same as 1/2x -1/4.
Step-by-step explanation:
(A) With a little practice, you can do these in your head, so there is no "work" to show.
The product of highest-degree terms is (1/2x)(5x^2) = (5/2)x^3.
The x^2 term in the product will be the sum of terms that are one of ...
- x-term × x-term
- constant × x^2
so the x^2 term is ...
(1/2x)(-2x) + (-1/4)(5x^2) = -x^2 -(5/4)x^2 = -(9/4)x^2
The x-term in the product will be the sum of terms of the form
so the x term is ...
(1/2x)(6) + (-1/4)(-2x) = 3x +(1/2)x = (7/2)x
Finally, the constant term in the product is the product of the constants:
(-1/4)(6) = -6/4 = -3/2
This makes the product of the two polynomials be ...
(5/2)x^3 -(9/4)x^2 +(7/2)x -3/2
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(B) One of the factors is the same, but the other is different. The product will be different.
- 1/2x -1/4 = (2x-1)/4
- 1/4x -1/2 = (x -2)/4 . . . . not the same as above
