0 energy points

# Multiplying functions

Sal solves the following problem: given that f(x)=7x-5 and g(x)=x^3+4x, find (f*g)(x). He explains that generally, (f*g)(x)=f(x)*g(x). Created by Sal Khan and Monterey Institute for Technology and Education.
Video transcript
f of x is equal to 7x minus 5. g of x is equal to x to the third power plus 4x. And then they ask us to find f times g of x So the first thing to realize is that this notation f times g of x is just referring to a function that is a product of f of x and g of x. So by definition, this notation just means f of x times g of x. And then we just have to substitute f of x with this definition, g of x with this definition, and then multiply out these algebraic expressions. f of x is right over there. And g of x, is right over there. So let's do it. So this is going to be equal to-- switch back to the orange color. It's going to be equal to f of x, which is 7x minus 5 times g of x, and g of x is x to the third power plus 4x. And you could-- we're multiplying two expressions that each have two terms. You could use FOIL if you like. I don't like using FOIL because you might forget what it's even about. Foil is really just using the distributive property twice. So for example, you take this expression. Whatever you have out here, if you had a 9 out here, or an a, or an x, or anything. Now you have 7x minus 5. If you're multiplying it times this expression, you would multiply this times each term over here. So when you multiply 7x minus 5 times x to the third, you get-- I'll write it this way. You get x to the third times-- actually, let me write it the other way. You get 7x minus 5 times x to the third. And then you have plus 7x minus 5 times 4x. And now we can do the distributive property again. We're not normally used to seeing the things we distribute on the right hand side. It's the same exact idea. We could put the x to the third here as well. And when we distribute, you multiply x to the third times 7x and times negative 5. x to the third times 7x is 7x to the fourth power. X to the third times negative 5 is minus 5x to the third. And then you do it over here. You distribute the 4x over the 7x. 4x times 7x is plus 28x squared. 4x times negative 5 is minus 20x. And let's see if we can simplify this. We only have one fourth degree term, one third degree term, one second degree term, and one first degree term. Actually, we can't simplify this anymore. And we're done. This is the product of those two function definitions. This is f times g of x. It is a new function created by multiplying the other two functions.