Question 13 Marks
Factorise: $2(x + y)^2 - 9(x + y) - 5$
Answer
View full question & answer→Let $x + y = z$
Then, $2(x + y)^2 - 9(x + y) - 5$
$= 2z^2 - 9z - 5$
$= 2z^2 - 10z + z - 5$
$= 2z(z - 5) + 1(z - 5)$
$= (z - 5)(2z + 1)$
Now, replacing $z$ by $(x + y)$, we get $2(x + y)^2 - 9(x + y) - 5$
$= [(x + y) - 5][(2(x + y) + 1)] = (x + y - 5)(2x + 2y + 1)$
Then, $2(x + y)^2 - 9(x + y) - 5$
$= 2z^2 - 9z - 5$
$= 2z^2 - 10z + z - 5$
$= 2z(z - 5) + 1(z - 5)$
$= (z - 5)(2z + 1)$
Now, replacing $z$ by $(x + y)$, we get $2(x + y)^2 - 9(x + y) - 5$
$= [(x + y) - 5][(2(x + y) + 1)] = (x + y - 5)(2x + 2y + 1)$