BINOMIAL THEOREM

SYNOPSIS
If n is positive integer, then
• ( a + x ) = nC0 a n + nC1a n−1 x1 + nC2 a n−2 x 2 + ........... + nCn x n
n

• ( a − x ) = nC0 a n − nC1 a n−1 x1 + nC2 a n− 2 x 2 − ........... + ( −1) nCn x n

n n

• ( a + x ) and ( a − x ) contains ( n + 1) terms.

n n

• ( r + 1) term in ( a + x ) = tr +1 = nCr a n− r x r
th n

• ( r + 1) term in ( a − x ) = tr +1 = nCr a n− r ( − x )
th n r

• ( a + x ) + ( a − x ) = 2  nC0 a n + nC2 a n− 2 x 2 + nC4 a n− 4 x 4 + .......

n n

(a + x) − ( a − x ) = 2  nC1 a n−1 x1 + nC3 a n− 3 x 3 + nC5 a n− 5 x 5 + .......

n n
•
n   n +1
• Number of terms in ( a + x ) + ( a − x ) is  + 1  if n is even and 
n n
 if n is odd.
2   2 
 n  n +1
• Number of terms in ( a + x ) − ( a − x ) is   if n is even and 
n n
 if n is odd.
 2  2 
• Pascal’s Triangle: Pascal's Triangle is the triangular arrangement of numbers that gives the
coefficients in the expansion of any binomial expression. The numbers are so arranged that they
reflect as a triangle.
1 ………………………….. n = 0
1 1 ………………………… n = 1
1 2 1 ……………………. n = 2
1 3 3 1 ……………….. n = 3
1 4 6 4 1 ………….. n = 4
1 5 10 10 5 1 ……….. n = 5

•
n
C0 + nC1 + nC 2 + ...... nC n = 2n
•
n
C 0 + nC 2 + nC 4 + ...... = nC1 + nC 3 + nC 5 + ...... = 2n −1
n!
•
n
Cr = , nC 0 = nC n = 1 , n C r = n C n − r
r !(n − r )!
• If nC p = nCq , then either p = q or p + q = n
• n
C r + nC r − 1 = n +1
Cr
n
Cr n−r +1
• n
=
C r −1 r
Middle term of the expansion ( a + b ) :
n
•
th
n  n
a. If n is even then  + 1  term = Tn = nC n ( ab ) 2
2  2
+1
2
 n +1 n −1
 n +1
th

b. If n is odd then   term = Tn−1 = nC n−1 a 2

b 2
and
 2  2
+1
2
n −1 n+1
 n+1
th

 2 + 1  term = Tn+1 +1 = C n−1 a
n 2 2
b
  2 2

MCQ

(100) + ( 99 )
50 50
1.

 (101) b. = 101 c.  (101) d.  (101)

50 50
a.

2. If ( 1 + x − 2 x 2 ) = 1 + a1 x + a2 x 2 + ............ + a12 x 12 , then the expression

6

a2 + a4 + a6 + a8 + a10 + a12 =

a. 32 b. 31 c. 63 d. 64
3. 23n+ 3 − 7n − 8, ( n  ) is divisible by
a. 34 b. 49 c. 17 d. none of these

4. The total number of terms in the expansion of ( x + a ) + ( x − a)

100 100
after simplification will be

a. 202 b. 51 c. 50 d. none of these

5. If (1 + ax ) = 1 + 8 x + 24 x 2 + ...... , then the value of ( a + n ) =

n

a. 6 b. 5 c. 9 d. 3

( ) −( )
2n 2n
6. If n is a positive integer, then 3 +1 3 −1 is

a. Irrational b. odd positive integer

c. even positive integer d. rational number but not positive integer

7. When 82n − ( 62 )
2 n +1
is divided by 9, the remainder will be

a. 0 b. 2 c. 7 d. 8
8. 20
C0 − 20C1 + 20C 2 − 20C 3 + ........ + 20C10 =

1 20
a. − 20C10 b. . C10 c. 0 d. 20
C 10
2
6
9. The value of C4 +  56− r C 3 is
50

r =1

a. 56
C4 b. 56C 3 c. 55C 3 d. 55C 4
 10. Expansion of ( 1 − x + x 2 ) is
4

1 − 4 x + 10 x 2 − 16 x 3 + 19 x 4 − 16 x 6 + 10 x 6 + 4 x 7 − x 8
6
a.

b. 1 − 4 x + 10 x 2 − 16 x 3 + 19 x 4 − 16 x 5 + 10 x 6 − 4 x 7 + x 8
6

1 − 4 x + 16 x 2 − 10 x 3 + 19 x 5 − 16 x 4 + 10 x 7 − 4 x 6 + x 8
6
c.
d. None of these

11. The total number of terms in the expansion of ( x + a ) − ( x − a )

51 51
after simplification is

a. 102 b. 25 c. 26 d. none of these

12. The greatest integer which divides the number (101)

100
− 1 is

a. 100 b. 1000 c. 10000 d. 100000

13. 10C1 + 10C 3 + 10C5 + 10C7 + 10C9 =

a. 29 b. 210 c. 210 − 1 d. none of these

14. The general term of the expansion ( a + b ) is

n

a. Tr = nC r a n− r b r b. Tr +1 = nC r a n − r b r c. Tr = nC r a n+ r b r d. Tr +1 = nC r a n + r b r

15. In the expansion of ( a + b ) where n is even, then the middle term is said to be
n

 n + 1  n+1
th th th th
 n n  
a.   term b.  + 1  term c.   term d.  + 1  term
 2 2   2   2 

Answer key:

1. a 2. b 3. b 4. b 5. a

6. a 7. b 8. b 9. d 10. b

11. c 12. c 13. a 14. b 15.b

ASSERTION & REASON QUESTIONS

DIRECTION: In each of the following questions, a statement of Assertion(A) is given followed by a
corresponding statement of Reason(R) just below it. Of the statements, mark the correct answer as
(a) Both assertion(A) and reason(R) are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
(b) Both assertion(A) and reason(R) are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
(c) Assertion(A) is true but reason(R) is false.
(d) Assertion(A) is false but reason(R) is true
  1 
m
( 4m ) !
1. (A): The term independent of x in the expansion of  x + + 2  is .
  ( 2m ) !
2
x

(R): The coefficient of x 6 in the expansion of (1 + x ) is nC6 .

n

2. (A): If (1 + ax ) = 1 + 8 x + 24 x 2 + .......upto ( n + 1) terms, then a = 2 ,n = 4 .

n

n ( n − 1)
(R): ( 1 + x ) = 1 + nx + x 2 + ........upto ( n + 1) terms .
n

(A): The r th term from the end in the expansion of ( x + a ) is nC n− r +1 x r −1 a n− r +1 .

n
3.

(R): The r th term from the end in the expansion of ( x + a ) is ( n − r + 2 ) term.

n th

(A): In the expansion of ( x + 2 y ) , the middle term is 4th term.

8
4.

th
n 
(R): If n is even in the expansion of ( a + b ) , then  + 1  term is the middle term.
n

2 

5. (A): nC0 + nC 2 + nC 4 + ...... = 2n−1

(R): nC1 + nC 3 + nC 5 + ...... = 2n −1

(A): Number of terms in the expansion of ( 3 x + y ) − ( 3 x − y )  is 4.

8 8
6.
 

n
(R): If n is even, then ( x + a ) − ( x − a )  has
n n
terms.
  2

(A): General term of the expansion ( x + 2 y ) is 9C r .2r .x 9− r .y r .

9
7.

(R): General term of the expansion ( x + a ) is nC r .x n− r .a r .

n

(A): Number of terms in the expansion of ( x + y ) + ( x − y )  is 6.

10 10
8.
 

n 
(R): If n is even, then ( x + a ) + ( x − a )  has  + 1  terms.
n n

  2 

Answer Key:

1. d 2. a 3. a 4. d

5. a 6. a 7. a 8. a
 CASE STUDY BASED QUESTIONS
th
n 
1. The binomial expansion of ( x + a ) contains ( n + 1) terms. If n is even, then  + 1  term is
n

2 
 n +1  n+ 3
th th

the middle term. If n is odd, then   and   terms are middle terms. Based on
 2   2 
the above information, answer the questions below.
7
 x3  105 x13 35 x15
i. Find the middle term of the expansion of  3 x −  . [Ans: − , ]
 6  8 48
8
p 
ii. If the middle term in the expansion of  + 2  is 1120, find the value of p. [Ans: 2 ]
2 

( x + a) = nC0 x n a 0 + nC1 x n−1a + nC2 x n− 2 a 2 + ......... + nCn x 0 a n

n
2.
Find the value of ( x + y ) + ( x − y ) . [Ans: 2 ( x 5 + 10 x 3 y 2 + 5 xy 4 ) ]
5 5
i.
Find the number of terms in the expansion of ( x + y ) + ( x − y ) . [Ans: 3]
5 5
ii.

( ) +( )
5 5
iii. Find the value of 2 +1 2 − 1 . [Ans: 58 2 ]