In this mini-lesson we cover the basics of a monomial, polynomial and the degree of a polynomial, as simply
as possible and with the help of a number of examples. Some of the basic points
in this lesson are mentioned below. Not that this might seem complicated here in
text, but once you have instructor explain it to you in their voice and handwriting
in the video above, it will be easy to follow.(Continued below the video - scroll
down)
This FREE mini-lesson is a part of Winpossible's online Algebra I course which covers
all topics within Algebra I. Click on the video below to go through it.
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(16 hours of lessons, 16 quizzes, over 1000 problems with solutions)
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People who saw this mini-lesson also found the following mini-lessons useful:
(Continued from above the video). Here are some of the basics for you to keep in
mind:
'Monomial' refers to a polynomial that has only a single (mono) term and the product of multiplying monomials together also results in a monomial
e.g. x, 2x, xy, (10xy4)/3
'Polynomials'
refer to mathematical expressions that contain multiple terms x + 5, 2x
- 5, (5xyz3)/4 + 7x etc
The degree of a term is the sum of the powers of each variable in
the term. For example, the polynomial 5x4 + 2x3
- x + 7 has four terms. The first term has a degree of 4, the second term
has a degree of 3, the third term has a degree of 1, and a last term has a degree
of 0
When a polynomial is expressed as a sum or difference of terms, the term with the
highest degree, is the degree of the polynomial. Therefore, the polynomial has a
degree of 4 which is the highest degree of any term
While adding or subtracting polynomials, remember that you can only combine
like terms. 'Like terms' contain the sample variables and differ by the numeric
coefficient in the left, e.g. 4x and 6x
are like terms, and can be added to get 10x
Multiplying polynomials is a little more complicated, and involves adding up the
products of multiplying each term in the first polynomial by each term in the second
polynomial. The mini-lesson also explains the concept of 'FOIL', which is short form of "First, Outside, Inside, Last"
and refers to which terms you multiply together and add up when multiplying two
polynomials, each composed of two monomials. Again, this may appear little complicated
here in text, but it will be easy to follow once you hear the instructor explain
it in the video below.
As many of you know, Winpossible's online courses use a unique teaching method where
an instructor explains the concepts in any given area to you in his/her own voice
and handwriting, just like you see your teacher explain things to you on a blackboard
in your classroom. This particular mini-lesson includes the teacher's instruction,
practice questions as well as end-of-lesson quizzes for practice. As we mentioned
above, you can
enroll in our online course in Algebra I by clicking here.
The format of Winpossible's online courses is also very suitable for teachers who
are using an interactive whiteboard such as Smartboard on Promethean in their classrooms,
because the course lessons can be easily displayed on such interactive whiteboards.
Volume pricing is available for schools interested in our online courses. For more
information, please contact us at educators@winpossible.com.
