Method F - Vertical & Crosswise

CPD: A Compendium of Mathematical Methods (By Jo Morgan), topic 3.1.6

Vertical and Cross: Expand and Simplify (x + 3)(x − 5)

Step 1

Step 1

Write (x + 3)(x − 5) in two rows, in a similar way to a column multiplication.

Step 2

Step 2

First, multiply vertically.
The first two terms in each expression are multiplied together and the product is written at the bottom.

Step 3

Step 3

Now, multiply vertically again – this time the last two terms in each expression are multiplied together and the product is written at the bottom.

Step 4

Step 4

Finally, the ‘crosswise’ part.
Multiply diagonally and add the two products.

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