Remember the word FOIL. F for FIRSTS, O for OUTERS, I for INNERS, and L for LASTS. ------------------------------------------- The FIRSTS are the 7y² and the y² (7y²+x)(y²-2x) That's because the 7y² comes FIRST in the (7y²+x) and the y² comes FIRST in the (y²-2x) So we multiply them together 7y²·y² = 7y4 --------------------------------------------- The OUTERS are the 7y² and the -2x (7y²+x)(y²-2x) That's because the 7y² and the -2x are on the OUTSIDE (That is they are the farthest OUT from each other) So we multiply them together 7y²·-2x = -14xy² ------------------------------------------------ The INNERS are the +x and the y² (7z²+x)(y²-2x) That's because the +x and the y² are on the INSIDE (That is they are in the middle) So we multiply them together +x·y² = +xy² ---------------------------------------- The LASTS are the +x and the -2x (7y²+x)(y²-2x) That's because the +x comes LAST in the (7y²+x) and the -2x comes LAST in the (y²-2x) So we multiply them together +x·-2x = -2x² ------------------------------------------ Write down the four terms from above for FIRSTS, OUTERS, INNERS, and LASTS: 7y4-14xy²+xy²-2x² The two middle terms are like terms, so they will combine as -13xy² Answer: 7y4-13xy²-2x² Edwin