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Section 5.6 Multiplication of Polynomials
Introductory Algebra, Miller/O’Neill/Hyde
Andrea Hendricks
I. Overview – You will learn how to
A. Multiply polynomials
B. Find special products
C. Use the product of polynomials in geometry
II. Multiply Polynomials
A. Review multiplying common bases (section 5.1)
B. Multiply monomials
C. Review the distributive property
D. Multiply a polynomial by a monomial
E. Multiply a polynomial by a polynomial using the distributive property
III. Find Special Products
A. Illustrate the product of conjugates using the distributive property.
B. The product of conjugates is called a difference of squares.
(a  b)(a  b)  a 2  b2
C. Illustrate how to find the square of a binomial using the distributive property.
D. The square of a binomial is called a perfect square trinomial.
(a  b)2  a 2  2ab  b2
(a  b)2  a 2  2ab  b 2
E. Illustrate how to find the cube of a binomial.
IV. Use the Product of Polynomials in Geometry
The sides of a figure will be given as a polynomial. Use these expressions to find the
A. Area
1) Rectangle
2) Square
3) Triangle
B. Volume
1) Cube
2) Rectangular Solid
V. Summary – You should be able to
A. Multiply polynomials.
B. Find special products.
C. Find the area or volume of a figure using polynomials.