Drill and Practice

Topics Covered:
 Operations on Algebraic Expressions
 Exponents and Radicals
 Radicals and Complex Numbers
 Linear Equations and Special Products/Factoring

Objectives:
At the end of the activity, the students should be able to:
 Add, subtract, multiply, and divide algebraic expressions and complex numbers
 Use the laws of exponents to evaluate algebraic expressions
 Simplify radicals
 Solve linear equations in one variable
 Factor special products

Instruction:
Below are problem-solving exercises for the topics above. Write your complete solution and
answer on short, white, letter-sized (8.5 x 11) paper. Handwriting must be neat and legible.
Follow the G.R.A.S.P. (Given, Required to find, Analysis (what formulas are needed), Solution,
Presentation of final answer) process. Write your name on every page of the paper and indicate
the number of pages (i.e., 1 of 3, etc.) on the lower right corner. Include the date of submission,
and staple pages together on the upper left corner.


Polynomials
1. Tell whether the expression is a monomial. If it is, name the variable(s) and the coefficient
and give the degree of the monomial.
a) 2𝑥 3 b) −4𝑥 2 c)
8
𝑥
2 3
d) 5𝑥 𝑦 e) −
2𝑥 2 f) 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2
𝑦3
2. Tell whether the expression is a polynomial. If it is, give its degree.
a) 3𝑥 2 − 5 b) 5 c) −𝜋
2 5
e) 2𝑦 3 − √2 𝑥 2 +5
d) 3𝑥 − f)
𝑥 𝑥 3 −1

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 3. Add, subtract, or multiply, as indicated. Express your answer as a single polynomial in
standard form.
a) (𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 + 5) + (3𝑥 − 3)
b) (𝑥 3 − 2𝑥 2 + 5𝑥 + 10) − (2𝑥 2 − 4𝑥 + 3)
c) (10𝑥 5 − 8𝑥 2 ) + (3𝑥 3 − 2𝑥 2 + 6)
d) (𝑥 2 + 1) − (4𝑥 2 + 5) + (𝑥 2 + 𝑥 − 2)
e) 9(𝑦 2 − 3𝑦 + 4) − 6(1 − 𝑦 2 )
f) 𝑥(𝑥 2 + 𝑥 − 4)
g) (𝑥 + 1)(𝑥 2 + 2𝑥 − 4)
h) (2𝑥 − 3))(𝑥 2 + 𝑥 + 1)
4. Multiply the polynomials using the FOIL method. Express your answer as a single
polynomial in standard form.
a) (𝑥 + 2)(𝑥 + 4)
b) (2𝑥 + 5)(𝑥 + 2)*
c) (𝑥 − 3)(𝑥 − 2)
d) (2𝑥 + 3)(𝑥 − 2)
e) (−𝑥 − 2)(−2𝑥 − 4)
f) (−2𝑥 − 3)(3 − 𝑥)*
g) (2𝑥 + 3𝑦)(𝑥 − 𝑦)
h) (−2𝑥 − 3𝑦)(3𝑥 + 2𝑦)*
5. Multiply the polynomials using the special product formulas. Express your answer as
a single polynomial in standard form.
a) (𝑥 − 7)(𝑥 + 7)
b) (𝑥 − 1)(𝑥 + 1)
c) (2𝑥 + 3)(2𝑥 − 3)
d) (𝑥 + 4)2
e) (𝑥 − 5)2
f) (3𝑥 + 4)(3𝑥 − 4)*
g) (2𝑥 − 3)2
h) (3𝑥 − 4)2 *
i) (3𝑥 + 𝑦)(3𝑥 − 𝑦)
j) (3𝑥 − 2)3
6. Find the quotient and the remainder. Check your work by verifying that
(𝑄𝑢𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡)(𝐷𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑟) + 𝑅𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 = 𝐷𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑑.
a) 4𝑥 3 − 3𝑥 2 + 𝑥 + 1 divided by 𝑥 + 2
b) 3𝑥 3 − 2𝑥 2 + 𝑥 − 2 divided by 𝑥 + 2*
c) 4𝑥 3 − 3𝑥 2 + 𝑥 + 1 divided by 𝑥 2
d) 3𝑥 3 − 𝑥 2 + 𝑥 − 2 divided by 𝑥 2 *

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 e) 5𝑥 4 − 3𝑥 2 + 𝑥 + 1 divided by 𝑥 2 + 2
f) −4𝑥 3 + 𝑥 2 − 4 divided by 𝑥 − 1
g) −3𝑥 4 − 2𝑥 − 1 divided by 𝑥 − 2
h) 1 − 𝑥 2 + 𝑥 4 divided by 𝑥 2 + 𝑥 + 1
i) 𝑥 3 − 𝑎3 divided by 𝑥 − 𝑎
j) 𝑥 5 − 𝑎5 divided by 𝑥 − 𝑎
7. Factor each polynomial by removing the common monomial factor.
a) 3𝑥 + 6 b) 7𝑥 − 14
2
c) 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑎 d) 𝑥 3 + 𝑥 2 + 𝑥
e) 𝑥 3 − 𝑥 2 + 𝑥 f) 2𝑥 2 − 2𝑥
g) 3𝑥 2 − 3𝑥 h) 3𝑥 2 𝑦 − 6𝑥𝑦 2 + 12𝑥𝑦
8. Factor the difference of two squares.
a) 𝑥 2 − 1 b) 𝑥 2 − 4
c) 4𝑥 2 − 1 d) 𝑥 2 − 25
e) 25𝑥 2 − 4 f) 36𝑥 2 − 9
9. Factor the perfect squares.
a) 𝑥 2 + 2𝑥 + 1 b) 𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 + 4
c) 𝑥 2 − 10𝑥 + 25 d) 4𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 + 1
e) 9𝑥 2 + 6𝑥 + 1 f) 25𝑥 2 + 10𝑥 + 1
10. Factor the sum or difference of two cubes.
a) 𝑥 3 − 27 b) 𝑥 3 + 125
c) 𝑥 3 + 27 d) 8𝑥 3 + 27
11. Factor by grouping
a) 2𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 + 3𝑥 + 6 b) 2𝑥 2 − 4𝑥 + 𝑥 − 2
c) 6𝑥 2 + 9𝑥 + 4𝑥 + 6 d) 9𝑥 2 − 6𝑥 + 3𝑥 − 2
12. Determine the number that should be added to complete the square of each expression.
Then factor each expression.
a) 𝑥 2 + 10𝑥 b) 𝑦 2 − 6𝑦
1 1
c) 𝑥 2 − 2 𝑥 d) 𝑥 2 + 3 𝑥
13. Simplify each expression. Assume that all variables are positive when they appear
3
a) √27 b) √8
3 3
4 𝑥9𝑦7 d) 5√2 − 2√54
c) √ 𝑥𝑦 3
14. Rationalize the denominator of each expression. Assume that all variables are positive
when they appear.
1 √3
a) b) −
√2 √3

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 √3 (2−√5)
c) 5−√2
d) 2+3√5
15. Simplify each expression.
2 1
a) 83 b) (−27)3
3 3
c) 162 d) 9−2
2
8 −3 f)
e) (27)
16. Write the complex number in standard form.
a) √−81 b) √−98 c) √16 + √−81
d) 5 + √−49 e) 8 − √−18 f)
17. Simplify and write the complex number in standard form.
a) (5 + 2𝑖) + (6 − 7𝑖) b) (−3 − 5𝑖) − (7 − 5𝑖)
c) 8𝑖 − (2 − 8𝑖) d) 5𝑖 ⋅ 8𝑖
e) √−50 ⋅ √−2 f)
18. Solve each equation.
a) 5y + 6 = −18 − y
b) 3(2 − x) = 2x − 1
2 1 1
c) p = 2p + 3
3
x 2
d) + 3 = x−2
x−2
4 3 7
e) x−2
= − x+5 + (x+5)(x−2)

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