Long Division to Divide Polynomials Practice

Site: Saylor Academy
Course: MA120: Applied College Algebra
Book: Long Division to Divide Polynomials Practice
Printed by: Guest user
Date: Saturday, 3 May 2025, 1:01 PM

Description

Table of contents

Practice Problems

  1. Let a(x)=5x^3-6x^2-8x+9, and b(x)=x^4+2x^3+x+1.

    When dividing a by b, we can find the unique quotient polynomial q and remainder polynomial r that satisfy the following equation:

    \dfrac{a(x)}{b(x)}=q(x) + \dfrac{r(x)}{b(x)},

    where the degree of r(x) is less than the degree of b(x).
    What is the quotient, q(x)?

     q(x)=

    What is the remainder, r(x)

    r(x)= 

  2. Let a(x)=-5x^3-x^2+3, and b(x)=x^2+4.

    When dividing a by b, we can find the unique quotient polynomial q and remainder polynomial r that satisfy the following equation:

    \dfrac{a(x)}{b(x)}=q(x) + \dfrac{r(x)}{b(x)},

    where the degree of r(x) is less than the degree of b(x).

    What is the quotient, q(x)?

     q(x)=

    What is the remainder, r(x)?

    r(x)= 

  3. Let a(x)=-12x^5-2x^3-9x, and b(x)=3x^4+x^2+1.

    When dividing a by b, we can find the unique quotient polynomial q and remainder polynomial r that satisfy the following equation:

    \dfrac{a(x)}{b(x)}=q(x) + \dfrac{r(x)}{b(x)},

    where the degree of r(x) is less than the degree of b(x).

    What is the quotient, q(x)?

     q(x)=

    What is the remainder, r(x)?

    r(x)=

  4. Let a(x)=5x^2-6x+10x-2, and b(x)=15x^3+2x.

    When dividing a by b, we can find the unique quotient polynomial q and remainder polynomial r that satisfy the following equation:

    \dfrac{a(x)}{b(x)}=q(x) + \dfrac{r(x)}{b(x)},

    where the degree of r(x) is less than the degree of b(x).

    What is the quotient, q(x)?

     q(x)=

    What is the remainder, r(x)?

    r(x)=


Source: Khan Academy, https://www.khanacademy.org/math/algebra-home/alg-polynomials/alg-practice-dividing-polynomials-with-remainders/e/dividing-polynomials-with-remainders
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License.

Answers

  1. Note that b(x) has a higher degree than a(x). This implies that the quotient term, q(x) is 0

    We already know that q(x)=0. Since the degree of a(x) is smaller than the degree of b(x), the remainder r(x) is simply a(x)

    Therefore, r(x)=5x^3-6x^2-8x+9.

    To conclude,

    • q(x)=0
    • r(x)=5x^3-6x^2-8x+9

  2. Note that a(x) has a higher degree than b(x). This allows us to find a non-zero quotient polynomial, q(x)

    Let's use long division with polynomials in order to find the quotient, q(x) and remainder, r(x) of 

    \ \dfrac{a(x)}{b(x)}=\dfrac{-5x^3-x^2+3}{x^2+4}:

    First, we divide {x^2} into {-5x^3} and get {-5x}:

     \hphantom{1567|14} {-5x}\\{{{x^2}+4}}|\overline{{-5x^3}-x^2\ +\ 0x+\ 3}\\\hphantom{37{.}{.}{.}{.}|}\llap­\underline{(-5x^3+0x^2-20x)}\\\hphantom{37|3{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}}-x^2+\ 20x\\

    Next, we divide {x^2} into {-x^2} to get {-1}:

     \hphantom{1567|14}  {-5x \ {- \ 1}}\\{{{x^2}+4}}|\overline{-5x^3-x^2\ +\ 0x\ +3}\\\hphantom{37{.}{.}{.}{.}|}\llap­\underline{(-5x^3+0x^2-20x)}\\\hphantom{37|3{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}}{-x^2}+\ 20x+3\\\hphantom{37{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}|}\llap­\underline{(-x^2\ +\ 0x\ - 4)}\\\hphantom{37|3{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}} {+20x\ +\ 7}\\

    The process stops here because x^2+4 is a polynomial of the second degree and 20x+7 is a polynomial of the first degree. So it follows that
     {r(x)}= {20x+7},  {q(x)}= {-5x-1}, and

    \qquad\dfrac{-5x^3-x^2+3}{x^2+4}= {-5x-1}+\dfrac{ {20x+7}}{x^2+4}

    To conclude,

    • q(x)=-5x-1
    • r(x)=20x+7

  3. Note that a(x) has a higher degree than b(x). This allows us to find a non-zero quotient polynomial, q(x)

    Let's use long division with polynomials in order to find the quotient, q(x) and remainder, r(x) of 

    \ \dfrac{a(x)}{b(x)}=\dfrac{-12x^5-2x^3-9x}{3x^4+x^2+1}:

    We divide {3x^4} into {-12x^5} to get {-4x}:

     \hphantom{1567|1444477} { {-4x}}\\{{{3x^4}+x^2+1}}|\overline{{-12x^5}-2x^3-9x}\\\hphantom{37{.}{.}{.}88{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}|}\llap­\underline{(-12x^5-4x^3-4x)}\\\hphantom{37|3{.}{.}{.}{.}99888889{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}{.}} {+2x^3-5x }\\

    The process stops here because 3x^4+x^2+1 is a polynomial of the fourth degree and 2x^3-5x is a polynomial of the third degree. So it follows that  {r(x)}= {2x^3-5x},  {q(x)}= {-4x}, and

    \qquad\dfrac{-12x^5-2x^3-9x}{3x^4+x^2+1}= {-4x}+\dfrac{ {2x^3-5x}}{3x^4+x^2+1}

    To conclude,

    • q(x)=-4x
    • r(x)=2x^3-5x

  4. Note that b(x) has a higher degree than a(x). This implies that the quotient term, q(x) is 0

    We already know that q(x)=0. Since the degree of a(x) is smaller than the degree of b(x), the remainder r(x) is simply a(x)

    Therefore, r(x)=5x^2-6x+10x-2.

    To conclude,

    • q(x)=0
    • r(x)=5x^2-6x+10x-2