If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website.

If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.

Main content

Add & subtract polynomials: find the error

Problem

Javier tried to subtract two polynomials. His work is shown below:
=(x43x2y2+y4)(11x4+4x2y23y4)=x43x2y2+y4+11x44x2y2+3y4Step 1=(13)x6+(3+1)y6+(114)x6+(4+3)y6Step 2=2x62y6+7x6y6Step 3\begin{aligned} &\phantom{=}(x^4-3x^2y^2+y^4)-(-11x^4+4x^2y^2-3y^4) \\\\ &=x^4-3x^2y^2+y^4+11x^4-4x^2y^2+3y^4&\text{Step }1 \\\\ &=(1-3)x^6+(-3+1)y^6 +(11-4)x^6+(-4+3)y^6&\text{Step }2 \\\\ &=-2x^6-2y^6+7x^6-y^6&\text{Step }3 \end{aligned}
At which step did Javier make an error, if at all?
Choose 1 answer:
Stuck?
Stuck?