Topic 4: Binomial

Expansion

Bronze, Silver, Gold and

Platinum Worksheets for
A Level Mathematics
Teacher Notes
These Bronze, Silver and Gold worksheets are designed to be used either straight after the content
has been taught or as part of a skills gap analysis, especially as students move into year 13.

They are drawn from the latest specification questions and legacy questions. The papers are
between 25 and 35 marks.

The topic number on this worksheet relates to the corresponding chapter number in the ‘Pearson
Edexcel A Level Mathematics: Pure Mathematics Year 2’ textbook.

Non-Calculator Questions
The new specification allows calculators to be used in all papers. We have, however, put these
questions together with the intention that students can complete them without a calculator. It’s
important for pupils to be able to maintain their non-calculator skills, especially on topics such as
surds or indices, to support question that use the keywords “show that” or “prove”. If you wish to
ease the difficulty slightly then you can, of course, allow students to attempt them with the support
of a calculator.

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 Bronze Questions
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 Silver Questions
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The Platinum Questions below are taken from the Advanced Extension Award. You can use these in
class as high level problem solving questions, either with individual students or as group problem
solving exercises. On the Advanced Extension Award students, typically, need to get around 50% to
get a Merit and around 70% to get a distinction.

 Platinum Questions
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Extension and Enrichment

If you have students that have enjoyed the challenge of the Gold questions, then they should have a
go at the more challenging question from our Advanced Extension Award (AEA) papers. The
Mathematics AEA is a single, 3 hour non-calculator paper, taken at the end of year 13. It helps
students to develop high level problem solving and proof skills. It is entirely based on the content of
the A Level Mathematics Course. No extra material needs to be covered to take the AEA in
Mathematics. A second important difference is that marks are awarded for the clarity and quality of
their solution. Developing this key skill, alongside the extra problem-solving experience, can pay
dividends in the way they approach A Level Mathematics and Further Mathematics problems.

More information about the Advanced Extension Award can be found here on the Pearson Edexcel
Website, or here on the Maths Emporium
Bronze Questions
Non-calculator
The total mark for this section is 25
Q1

Find the first 3 terms, in ascending powers of x, of the binomial expansion of (3 − 2x) 5,
giving each term in its simplest form.
(4)

(Total for Question 1 is 4 marks)

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Q2

Find the first 4 terms, in ascending powers of x, of the binomial expansion of

Giving each term in its simplest form.

(4)

(Total for Question 2 is 4 marks)

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Q3

Find the binomial expansion of f(x) in ascending powers of x, up to and including the term
in x3. Give each coefficient as a simplified fraction.
(6)

(Total for Question 3 is 6 marks)

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Q4

Find the first three non-zero terms of the binomial expansion of f(x) in ascending powers of x.
Give each coefficient as a simplified fraction.
(6)

(Total for Question 4 is 6 marks)

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Q5

(a) Use the binomial expansion, in ascending powers of x, to show that

Where k is a rational constant to be found.

(4)
A student attempts to substitute x = 1 into both sides of this equation to find an approximate

value for .
(b) State, giving a reason, if the expansion is valid for this value of x.
(1)

(Total for Question 5 is 5 marks)

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End of Questions
Bronze Mark Scheme

Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q5
Silver Questions
Non-calculator
The total mark for this section is 35

Q1

(a) Find the first 3 terms, in ascending powers of x, of the binomial expansion of
(3 + bx)5
where b is a non-zero constant. Give each term in its simplest form.
(4)
Given that, in this expansion, the coefficient of x2 is twice the coefficient of x,
(b) find the value of b.
(2)

(Total for Question 1 is 6 marks)

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Q2

(a) Find the first 3 terms, in ascending powers of x, of the binomial expansion of
(2 − 9x)4
Giving each term in its simplest form.
(4)
f(x) = (1 + kx)(2 − 9x)4, where k is a constant
The expansion, in ascending powers of x, of f(x) up to and including the term in x2 is
A − 232x + Bx2
Where A and B are constants.
(b) Write down the value of A.
(1)
(c) Find the value of k.
(2)
(d) Hence find the value of B.
(2)

(Total for Question 2 is 9 marks)

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Q3

(a) Find the values of the constants A, B and C.

(4)

(b) Hence, or otherwise, expand in ascending powers of x, as far as the

2
term in x . Give each coefficient as a simplified fraction.
(7)

(Total for Question 3 is 11 marks)

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Q4

(a) Use the binomial expansion to show that

(6)

(b) Substitute into

To obtain an approximation to √3. Give your answer in the form where a and b are
integers.
(3)

(Total for Question 4 is 9 marks)

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End of Questions

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Silver Mark Scheme

Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Gold Questions
Non-calculator
The total mark for this section is 35

Q1

Given that f (x) can be expressed in the form

(a) Find the values of B and C and show that A = 0.

(4)

(b) Hence, or otherwise, find the series expansion of f (x), in ascending powers of x, up to and

including the term in x2.

Simplify each term.
(6)

(Total for Question 1 is 10 marks)

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Q2

(a) Find the first three terms, in ascending powers of x, of the binomial expansion of

Giving each coefficient in its simplest form.

(4)

The expansion can be used to find an approximation to . Possible values of x that could
be substituted into this expansion are:

(b) Without evaluating your expansion,

(i) state, giving a reason, which of the three values of x should not be used
(1)
(ii) state, giving a reason, which of the three values of x would lead to the most accurate
approximation to .
(1)

(Total for Question 2 is 6 marks)

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Q3
6 9
 (9  4 x) 4
f(x) = , x < .

(a) Find the binomial expansion of f(x) in ascending powers of x, up to and including the
term in x3. Give each coefficient in its simplest form.
(6)

Use your answer to part (a) to find the binomial expansion in ascending powers of x, up to
and including the term in x3, of

6 9
(b) g(x) =  (9  4 x) , x < 4 ,
(1)
6 9
(c) h(x) =  (9  8 x) , x < 8 .
(2)
(Total for Question 3 is 9 marks)
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Q4

(a) Use the binomial theorem to expand

2
3
(2 – 3x)−2 , x  < ,
In ascending powers of x, up to and including the term in x3. Give each coefficient as a
simplified fraction.
(5)

2
3
f (x) = , < , where a and b are constants.
In the binomial expansion of f (x), in ascending powers of x, the coefficient of x is 0 and the

coefficient of x2 is . Find
(b) The value of a and the value of b.
(5)

(Total for Question 4 is 10 marks)

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End of Questions
Gold Mark Scheme

Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Platinum Questions
Non-calculator
The total mark for this section is 25
Q1
(a) (i) Write down the binomial series expansion of

in powers of up to and including the term in .

(ii) Hence prove that, form

(3)

(b) Use the binomial series expansion of to show that

(4)

Given that the function f (x) is continuous and that

(c) prove that f (x) = 0 has a root in the interval [9, 10]
(5)
(+S1)
(Total for Question 1 is 13 marks)
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Q2

(a) Find the binomial series expansion for in ascending powers of y up to and
3
including the term in y . Simplify the coefficient of each term.
(3)

(b) Hence show that the binomial series expansion for in ascending powers of x up
to and including the term in x3 is

(3)

(c) Show that the binomial series expansion of will converge for .
(6)

(Total for Question 2 is 12 marks)

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End of Questions
Platinum Mark Scheme
Q1
Q2