How do you simplify (x - y)^3?

1 Answer
Jul 14, 2017

x^3 - 3x^2y + 3xy^2-y^3

Explanation:

(x - y)^3

Solution

Well you can use many methods to simplify like:

Using Pascal Triangle which give be 1, 3, 3, 1 as the expansion..

You can simplify (x - y)^3 to either (x - y) (x - y) (x - y) or (x - y)^2 (x - y)

But using those two will result in same answer which will be in this format -> 1, 3, 3, 1

Hence rArr (x - y)^3 = (x - y) (x - y) (x - y)

(x - y) (x - y) (x - y)

(x - y) [(x - y) (x - y)]

(x - y) [x^2 - xy - xy + y^2]

This lead to the point using difference of two cubes as:

(x - y) [x^2 - 2xy + y^2]

x [x^2 - 2xy + y^2] - y [x^2 - 2xy + y^2]

x^3 - 2x^2y + xy^2 - x^2y + 2xy^2 - y^3

Collect like terms

color(red)(x^3 - y^3) color(blue)(- 2x^2y - x^2y) color(green)(+ xy^2 + 2xy^2)

:. x^3 - y^3 - 3x^2y + 3xy^2 -> Answer

If it is the cube of a binomial, it will be in this format rArr color(red)(1)x^3 - color(red)(3)x^2y + color(red)(3)xy^2 - color(red)(1)y^3