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

[Hyrulian Hero]

yeah, college students not getting this is pretty pathetic. no one has an excuse not to really because it is taught (including the acronym FOIL) in early high school algebra. So if you have a high school diploma, you should know this answer.

I was never taught anything about a foil, except in cooking.

I know SOHCAHTOA, though. Fuck knows what it means though. I think it's about finding a triangle on a hippopotamus, though.

Well FOIL is First, Outside, Inside, Last. The four different multiplications you have to do in a problem like the one presented...

However, SOHCAHTOA is probably more useful, because who doesn't want to find the Hippopotamus' triangles?

 

[Razavn]

Spoiler

The answer should be x squared + 6x + 9

Thats bloody easy...I don't know how 40% failed it...what is the prevelant major at your college?

 

[Craftybonds]

Those of us who:

a) have a clue
b) don't have any use for advanced maths in our occupations

simply refer to any of the THOUSANDS of applications, websites, and calculators that exist to solve these problems, in the rare case that they come up. Faster than you.

My answer? http://twitpic.com/1brqqr

Calculators and applications are only able to solve for the raw numbers. you're not going to solve any real life mathematical application with just a calculator. you need prior knowledge on what to plug into the calculator.

 

[Wicky_42]

Yeah, been a few years but took me all of a few seconds. I guess some of that maths suck with me, lol

The term 'FOIL' though is just bizarre, lol - I mean, if your posting up a maths challenge, you could at least use proper mathematical conventions

Maybe you should of had it as "(x-3)^2", just to make life more interesting It's not a big change, but it makes it just a little bit better GCSE standard...

 

[obex]

i have to respond to this with a question. Who cares? its the same argument i gave to my teachers back in high school, it never comes into practical everyday use, so it's useless outside of studies.

Amen to this im in college i cant remember how to do this and im getting straight a's in my courses

 

[Razavn]

yeah, college students not getting this is pretty pathetic. no one has an excuse not to really because it is taught (including the acronym FOIL) in early high school algebra. So if you have a high school diploma, you should know this answer.

I was never taught anything about a foil, except in cooking.

I know SOHCAHTOA, though. Fuck knows what it means though. I think it's about finding a triangle on a hippopotamus, though.

SOHCAHTOA stands for:

sin=opposite/adajent (from the angle you are using, note these are the length of the sides)

cos=adjacent/hypotenuse (see above)

tangent=opposite/adajent (see above again)

They are used to determine the sides and angles of a triangle if you are given enough information to use it.

 

[GameGoddess101]

Spoiler

x^2+6x+9

This is stuff I learned as a sophomore in high school... so I did forget before I took my algebra class last semester. But hey, whatever, right?

 

[Pills_Here]

Ha! I got the answer right in my head, and I haven't done this stuff since I failed math in grade 10.

I should go to college.

 

[Alex The Rat]

Oh yeah. I remember this from high school now (after looking at the spoiler). My initial response was (x+3)*(x+3), so I suppose I was at least on the right track.

And honestly, I think you're overreacting. Even for those of us who enjoyed math in high school, this isn't the sort of thing that pops up much (or ever) after taking the SAT's unless you continue in a math-heavy field, so it simply gets pushed aside for more pertinent ideas. I honestly bet that of the 40% who originally answered wrong, 80% of those would see the right response and instantly recall how it's done.

 

[FoolKiller]

Yea. It took me about 3 seconds in my head.

 

[ELS84]

Spoiler

(x^2 + 6x + 9)

 

[GLo Jones]

=(X+3)^2
=(X+3)(X+3)
*FOIL*
=

Spoiler

x^2+6X+9

I haven't done that for about 4 years, but it's still easy.
[looks up algebra challenges]

Edit: Actually, it's been 6 years. Wow.

 

[inflamessoilwork]

Where did you get the 40%? Post a link if you're gonna call something like this.

 

[RvLeshrac]

Those of us who:

a) have a clue
b) don't have any use for advanced maths in our occupations

simply refer to any of the THOUSANDS of applications, websites, and calculators that exist to solve these problems, in the rare case that they come up. Faster than you.

My answer? http://twitpic.com/1brqqr

BS. Took me five seconds in my head.

Yes, because you *already know* what the answer is. As did the vast majority of us. Try an equation you haven't already stored the answer for.

Here, let me help you.

Expand:

 

[SmartIdiot]

Spoiler: Is it...

x^2+6x+9?

Been a while since I did any math of that kind but I'm pretty sure it's right.

 

[TheRundownRabbit]

dude, that question is cake, i learned fpoil in like 6th fuckin grade

 

[seamusotorain]

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...

Please put your answers in spoiler tags so people can't cheat without actively looking. To do a spoiler tag you place [mathspoiler]{content}[/mathspoiler] but remove the "math" part.

Remember, 40 freakin' percent fail at this. Try not to be one of them.

The correct answer is

Spoiler

{x^2+6x+9}

Use the HTML tag [ sup ] for squared. Eg:

x[sup]2[/sup]

 

[Alex The Rat]

this is kinda off topic but while we're on the subject of maths in America when you are being taught things like Speed and Weight do you use the Imperial system in school ie. Miles, Pounds, Stone, etc or do you use the Metric system ie Kilograms, Kilometers, etc?

All my science classes in high school used the metric system. I can't even imagine my physics class using pounds or feet... And, for the record, nobody in America uses Stone. Ever.