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A LEVEL MATHS help

I found a question in the textbook that I'm struggling to answer.

Simplify this expression by expanding brackets, factorising or both:

[(2x+y)(y-2x)]²-(4x²+y²+2z²)²

At the back of the book with the answer it gives the advice that it is the difference of two squares, so I attempted to do it like that but I got a different answer from the textbook.

The answer in the textbook is -4(4x²+z²)(y²+z²)

Can someone please help explain where I went wrong I will post my working out
Original post by JimMiller069
I found a question in the textbook that I'm struggling to answer.
Simplify this expression by expanding brackets, factorising or both:
[(2x+y)(y-2x)]²-(4x²+y²+2z²)²
At the back of the book with the answer it gives the advice that it is the difference of two squares, so I attempted to do it like that but I got a different answer from the textbook.
The answer in the textbook is -4(4x²+z²)(y²+z²)
Can someone please help explain where I went wrong I will post my working out


So this is how I worked out my answer:

[((2x+y)(y-2x))-(4x²+y²+2z²)][((2x+y)(y-2x))+(4x²+y²+2z²)]

[(y²-4x²)-(4x²+y²+2z²)(y²-4x²)+(4x²+y²+2z²)]

(-8x²-2z²)(2y²+2z²)

-2(4x²+z²)(-y²-z²)
Original post by JimMiller069
So this is how I worked out my answer:
[((2x+y)(y-2x))-(4x²+y²+2z²)][((2x+y)(y-2x))+(4x²+y²+2z²)]
[(y²-4x²)-(4x²+y²+2z²)(y²-4x²)+(4x²+y²+2z²)]
(-8x²-2z²)(2y²+2z²)
-2(4x²+z²)(-y²-z²)


I forgot to type two square brackets in the middle but I did include them
Reply 3
Original post by JimMiller069
So this is how I worked out my answer:
[((2x+y)(y-2x))-(4x²+y²+2z²)][((2x+y)(y-2x))+(4x²+y²+2z²)]
[(y²-4x²)-(4x²+y²+2z²)(y²-4x²)+(4x²+y²+2z²)]
(-8x²-2z²)(2y²+2z²)
-2(4x²+z²)(-y²-z²)

Youre not miles off, but Id have done dots on
((2x+y)(y-2x))
first, then dots again, which youve sort of done. But at the end you have both a 2 and a -2 factor which gives -4 in front of the remaining expression.
(edited 1 month ago)
Original post by mqb2766
Youre not miles off, but Id have done dots on
((2x+y)(y-2x))
first, then dots again, which youve sort of done. But at the end you have both a 2 and a -2 factor which gives -4 in front of the remaining expression.


Oh so it's

(-8x²-2z²)(2y²+2z²)
-2(4x²+z²)2(y²+z²)

Then -2x2 is -4 so -4(4x²+z²)(y²+z²)?
Reply 5
Original post by JimMiller069
Oh so it's
(-8x²-2z²)(2y²+2z²)
-2(4x²+z²)2(y²+z²)
Then -2x2 is -4 so -4(4x²+z²)(y²+z²)?

Yes. Algebraically if you had
2ab
you could interpret that as either
(2a)b or a(2b)
so if you have (2a)(2b) then its 4ab
Original post by mqb2766
Yes. Algebraically if you had
2ab
you could interpret that as either
(2a)b or a(2b)
so if you have (2a)(2b) then its 4ab


Thank you for your help!!

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