Calculate "(2a+8b)(4a-2b)"


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Hi all,

I'm interested in becoming a pilot and was just reading some information online at a pilot programme. They give a sample entrance exam, and on it is this question (question 9):

Calculate:

(2a+8b)(4a-2b)

Is this supposed to read (2a+8b)+(4a-2b)=0, or am I missing something?

I'm not looking for the answer to this question, rather, how to calculate it; for my own knowledge.

Thanks!

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It would be read as "(2a+9b)*(4a-2b)" with no absolute answer: you would be solving for one variable in terms of the other: as in "a=something b" or "b=something a"

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Hi all,

I'm interested in becoming a pilot and was just reading some information online at a pilot programme. They give a sample entrance exam, and on it is this question (question 9):

Is this supposed to read (2a+8b)+(4a-2b)=0, or am I missing something?

I'm not looking for the answer to this question, rather, how to calculate it; for my own knowledge.

Thanks!

6a-6b

a-b

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Is this supposed to read (2a+8b)+(4a-2b)=0, or am I missing something?

No, I believe it means (2a+8b)x(4a-2b)=0

Since brackets () mean multiplication so its not necessary to use 'x' specifically.

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I was going through the exam slowly, working out each answer in my head... I just decided to scroll through it fully, and saw that the answers are at the end. It says:

8a2+28ab-16b2

So XerXis was correct.

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I was going through the exam slowly, working out each answer in my head... I just decided to scroll through it fully, and saw that the answers are at the end. It says:

So XerXis was correct.

Every time I had ?'s like that in school we had to solve for each variable.... Oh well, good thing I'm not a pilot.

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Every time I had ?'s like that in school we had to solve for each variable.... Oh well, good thing I'm not a pilot.

That would be true if there was an equation, however it wasn't there. Also it's impossible to solve an equation with two variables. It wouldn't make any sense :)

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I'm a pilot and as far as I can help with that question would be to interpret it as (2a+8b)*(4a-2b). Any further than that is fairly lost on me! I don't remember my entrance exams being like that!

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Why is this ridiculously simple thing being posted again?

It's been solved and debated to death less than 3 months ago.

1) I didn't see the thread 3 months ago

2) Good luck searching the forums for a random equation

3) What's the big deal?

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