40% of College Students get this question wrong. AND IT MAKES ME ANGRY!

[Cav Clayton]

Thank f*** the only people who need to know this are people willing to teach it to others in their lives...

 

[Triscut900]

Spoiler

x^2+6x+9

im in 8th grade and i knew this within 10 seconds

 

[Burst6]

Very easy i learnt that in year 8
I just used (x+a)^2=(x^2+2ax+a^2)

Spoiler

x^2+6x+9

-

FIND THE ROOTS OF x^3-64.

Not as easy but still not in my opinion hard

Spoiler

x^3-64
(x-4)(x^2-4x+16)
(x-4)((x-2)^2+16-4)

(x-4)(x-2+√12)(x-2-√12)

By the way I am an Australian year 12 student studying advanced mathematics(eg. Complex number, Advanced Calculus, etc.)

Nope.
If (a-b) the equation is (a^2+ab+b^2)

so.

Spoiler

(x-4)(x^2+4x+16)
x=4 , x= -2+2i(3^(1/2)) , x= -2-2i(3^(1/2))

I'm just taking algebra 2. We just learned this.

 

[BloodSquirrel]

Hell, I might as well argue that a good working knowledge of politics and law is more useful, as everyone takes part in elections. At least in Australia. The effects of politics affect everyone on a daily basis no matter what they think of the system.

The failure the understand even simple mathimatical concepts is part of why the US government has taken the country from a downward spiral to a nosedive.

You can't be ignorant about everything in the world and still have a good working knowledge of politics.

 

[Fetzenfisch]

And again i was supported in my choice to study literature ^^
I got a Foil-Hat. does that count?

 

[Marlun_42]

Ha! It's been over 10 years since I was in high school and did this and I still got it on the first try. I have validated my intelligence and feel much better this morning. Thanks.

 

[Katana314]

I'm in a Game Design class where we're currently working through a lot of 3D graphics-related questions, so I am a little ashamed to not know this.
Still, computer math usually involves specifically writing the straight, "reduced" equation with values plugged in, so I guess in some ways it makes sense that I don't alter equations much (unless I were to invent a new collision-detection formula)

 

[OmegaXIII]

Been a while since i've done algebra but is it not

Spoiler

x^2 + 6x + 9

 

[gamefreakbsp]

{spoiler}(x^2+6x+9){/spoiler}

I HAVE BEATEN YOUR CHALLENGE!!! Now gimme a prize ya dirty bastid.

 

[Timotei]

Spoiler: These are not the answers you are looking for

Spoiler: This is

x[sup]2[/sup]+6x+9

 

[Pyro Paul]

College is supposed to be a place of higher learning. To get into college you must also pass high school and a number of exams. Yet, based on a recent campus wide survey conducted at my school 40% of college students cannot FOIL. I am a math major and this saddens and angers me. So Escapist, I ask you:

FOIL: (x+3)^2
EDIT: FOIL also means Expand...

The correct answer is

Spoiler

{x^2+6x+9}

the correct answer is:
'What is FOIL?'

FOIL Is not a method of mathmatical expression taught in most colleges.
it is an acronym used in pre-college and high school algebra courses to try and help students remember how to correctly Multiply Binomials.

if the question was worded correctly:
Multiply and Expand the following Binomial.
(x+3)^2

you will find that a suggnificant portion of the test group which got the 'FOIL' question Incorrect would acctually answer this question correctly.

the Problem itself lies within the question.


if i told you to break the circit in the lighting...
would you know what i'm asking you to do?

 

[Barry Bragg]

Dude, CS Major with Math Minor, easy breezy

Spoiler

x^2 + 6x + 9

 

[DSaB]

It took me a fair amount of time to remember how to do this, but that?s no surprise as I just don't use this kind of maths day-to-day in biology, where as the maths I do use regularly, I know. It also doesn?t surprise me that a lot of university students wouldn't know this, because even though it?s relatively straight forward it just not going to come up in an history of art class, or some other soft subject.

 

[Artina89]

I know this as BODMAS but heres my answer:

Spoiler

x^2+6x+9

If I get this wrong then i am going to be really embarrassed as I study Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry and we need to know this.

 

[Saskwach]

This reminds me of that monster maths thread we had at least a year ago that devolved (evolved?) into debates over probability, logic and the philosophy thereof (sort of) coin tosses and the gender of potential dogs. Sadly, there's just not as much room for disagreement with this one - and what's more, the question is only really understandable to those who can answer it, cutting down on the controversy that happened last time.

PS: No I will not link it. Necroing that thread would be the worst thing ever.

 

[Jiggabyte]

Spoiler

I forgot to add 6x but I blame that on the fact I haven't done algebra in over a year/I'm really freaking tired right now

Thankfully I'm not a Maths student.

 

[GonzoGamer]

This is why there are so many bad math teachers.
Not everyone knows what the hell you're talking about.
You need to start from the beginning.

An English teacher wouldn't get you to read "Our Mutual Friend" starting halfway through the damn book.

 

[Brackev]

I've an engineering degree and they never once mentioned FOIL. The question maker needs to be taken outside and publicly floged. The question is invalid due to FOIL not being a mathmatical operation.