SOLUTION: (y-2)^4 How do I work this problem? Please help. thank you

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Question 272190: (y-2)^4
How do I work this problem? Please help. thank you

Found 2 solutions by unlockmath, Alan3354:
Answer by unlockmath(1688) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Hello,
I'll get you started on it.
This (y-2)^4 can be rewritten as:
(y-2)(y-2)(y-2)(y-2) Take the first 2 and multiply them to get:
y^2-4y+4 Now multiply the next (y-2): and then you'd do the same with the last.
There is a formula which you can plug this into which is faster but the above is another way to do it.
RJ
www.math-unlock.com

Answer by Alan3354(69443) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
(y-2)^4
How do I work this problem?
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What do you mean my "work" it?
If you want to expand it, or multiply it out:
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The simplest way to expand binomials when the exponents are "large" is Pascal's Triangle. The 4th power can be done as squaring it twice, but if the exponent is 5 or more, that's tedious and error-prone.
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To find the coefficients:
1
1 1
1 2 1
1 3 3 1
1 4 6 4 1
Each coefficient is the sum of 2 above it, so you can figure it out without notes if you don't remember it.
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Pascal's triangle for the 4th power gives coefficients of
1 4 6 4 1
The expansion will have 5 terms.
The exponents of the y terms will start with 4 and decrease.
The exponents of the 2 terms will start with 0 and increase.
The signs will alternate, or you can view it as (-2) with exponents.
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= y%5E4+-+8%2Ay%5E3+%2B+24y%5E3+-+32%2Ay+%2B+16