SOLUTION: I am practicing for a college entrance test and need help with this question a^2+n+2b^2=(a+b) (a+2b) Thank you so much! Here is what I tried: a^2+n+2b^2=(a+b) (a+2b)

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Question 254496: I am practicing for a college entrance test and need help with this question
a^2+n+2b^2=(a+b) (a+2b)
Thank you so much!
Here is what I tried:
a^2+n+2b^2=(a+b) (a+2b)
-a -a
a+n+2b^2= (b) (a+2b)
-2b -2b
a+n+b^2=(b)(a)
-a -a
n+b^2=b
-b -b
n+b=?
Looking at this now I see that this is completely incorrect...
-Britt
Found 2 solutions by MRperkins, richwmiller:
Answer by MRperkins(300) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The first thing that you want to do, is figure out what the question is asking and come up with an idea of how you might solve it (a strategy). You are told that the left side is equal to the right side, so what value of n would make the left side equal to the right side? It is hard to see this when you have the parenthesis on the right side, so FOIL the binomials and get a*a+a*2b+b*a+b*2b
simplify this and you get
now we can see that if n=3ab, then the two sides will be equal.
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I will be in an online whiteboard until 3:00 pm Central time. If you want the link so you can come and get personalized help, then email me and I will send it to you. I will help you as much as you want until 3:00.
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Answer by richwmiller(17219) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
n=3ab
the first thing to do is multiply out the (a+b)(a+2b)
a^2+ab+2ab+2b^2
consolidate
a^2+3ab+2b^2
compare that to the left
and we see that n=3ab
you can subtract the like items which will leave n=3ab