1. Warm Up Divide using long division. 1. 161 ÷ 7 23 2. 12.18 ÷ 2.1 5.8
6x – 15y 3 3.
2x + 5y
7a2 – ab a 4.
7a – b

2. Objective
Use long division and synthetic division to divide polynomials.

3. Vocabulary
synthetic division

4. Polynomial long division is a method for dividing a polynomial by another polynomials of a lower degree. It is very similar to dividing numbers.

5. Example 1: Using Long Division to Divide a Polynomial
Divide using long division.
(–y2 + 2y3 + 25) ÷ (y – 3)
Step 1 Write the dividend in standard form, including
terms with a coefficient of 0.
2y3 – y2 + 0y + 25
Step 2 Write division in the same way you would when dividing numbers.
y – 3 2y3 – y2 + 0y + 25

6. Example 1 Continued
Step 3 Divide.
Step 4 Write the final answer.
–y2 + 2y3 + 25
y – 3
2y2
–(2y3 – 6y2)
+ 5y
–(5y2 – 15y)
15y + 25
–(15y – 45) 70
+ 15
y – 3 2y3 – y2 + 0y + 25
= 2y2 + 5y
5y2 + 0y 70

7. Huddle
Divide using long division.
(15x2 + 8x – 12) ÷ (3x + 1)
Step 1 Write the dividend in standard form, including
terms with a coefficient of 0.
15x2 + 8x – 12
Step 2 Write division in the same way you would when dividing numbers.
3x x2 + 8x – 12

8. Huddle
Step 3 Divide. 5x
+ 1
3x x2 + 8x – 12
–(15x2 + 5x)
3x – 12
–(3x + 1)
Step 4 Write the final answer.
–13
= 5x + 1 – 13
3x + 1

9. Mastery
Divide using long division.
(x2 + 5x – 28) ÷ (x – 3)
Step 1 Write the dividend in standard form, including
terms with a coefficient of 0.
x2 + 5x – 28
Step 2 Write division in the same way you would when dividing numbers.
x – 3 x2 + 5x – 28

10. Mastery
Step 3 Divide. x
+ 8
x – 3 x2 + 5x – 28
–(x2 – 3x)
8x – 28
Step 4 Write the final answer.
–(8x – 24)
= x + 8 – 4
x – 3 –4

11. Synthetic division is a shorthand method of dividing a polynomial by a linear binomial by using only the coefficients. For synthetic division to work, the polynomial must be written in standard form, using 0 and a coefficient for any missing terms, and the divisor must be in the form (x – a).

13. Example 2A: Using Synthetic Division to Divide by a Linear Binomial
Divide using synthetic division. 1 3
(3x2 + 9x – 2) ÷ (x – )
Step 1 Find a. Then write the coefficients and a in the synthetic division format. 1 3
a =
For (x – ), a = . 1 3 1 3 –2
Write the coefficients of 3x2 + 9x – 2.

14. Example 2A Continued
Step 2 Bring down the first coefficient. Then multiply and add for each column. 1 3 –2 1 3
Draw a box around the remainder, 1 3 1 1 3 3 10
Step 3 Write the quotient. 3x 1 3
x –

15. Example 2B: Using Synthetic Division to Divide by a Linear Binomial
Divide using synthetic division.
(3x4 – x3 + 5x – 1) ÷ (x + 2)
Step 1 Find a.
a = –2
For (x + 2), a = –2.
Step 2 Write the coefficients and a in the synthetic division format.
3 – –1 –2
Use 0 for the coefficient of x2.

16. Example 2B Continued
Step 3 Bring down the first coefficient. Then multiply and add for each column. –2
3 – –1
Draw a box around the remainder, 45. –6 14
–28 46 3 –7 14
–23 45
Step 4 Write the quotient.
3x3 – 7x2 + 14x – 23 + 45
x + 2
Write the remainder over the divisor.

17. Huddle
Divide using synthetic division.
(6x2 – 5x – 6) ÷ (x + 3)
Step 1 Find a.
6 –5 –6 –3
–18 6 63
–23 69
a = –3
6x – 23 + 63
x + 3

18. Mastery
Divide using synthetic division.
(x2 – 3x – 18) ÷ (x – 6)
Step 1 Find a.
1 –3 –18 6 1 18 3
a = 6
x + 3

19. You can use synthetic division to evaluate polynomials
You can use synthetic division to evaluate polynomials. This process is called synthetic substitution. The process of synthetic substitution is exactly the same as the process of synthetic division, but the final answer is interpreted differently, as described by the Remainder Theorem.

20. Example 3A: Using Synthetic Substitution
Use synthetic substitution to evaluate the polynomial for the given value.
P(x) = 2x3 + 5x2 – x + 7 for x = 2. 2
–1 7
Write the coefficients of the dividend. Use a = 2. 4 18 34 2 9 17 41
P(2) = 41
Check Substitute 2 for x in P(x) = 2x3 + 5x2 – x + 7.
P(2) = 2(2)3 + 5(2)2 – (2) + 7
P(2) = 41 

21. Example 3B: Using Synthetic Substitution
Use synthetic substitution to evaluate the polynomial for the given value. 1 3
P(x) = 6x4 – 25x3 – 3x + 5 for x = – . – 1 3
6 – –3 5
Write the coefficients of the dividend. Use 0 for the coefficient of x2. Use a = . 1 3 –2 9 –3 2 6
–27 9 –6 7
P( ) = 7 1 3

22. Huddle
Use synthetic substitution to evaluate the polynomial for the given value.
P(x) = x3 + 3x2 + 4 for x = –3. –3
Write the coefficients of the dividend. Use 0 for the coefficient of x2 Use a = –3. –3 1 4
P(–3) = 4
Check Substitute –3 for x in P(x) = x3 + 3x2 + 4.
P(–3) = (–3)3 + 3(–3)2 + 4
P(–3) = 4 

23. Mastery
Use synthetic substitution to evaluate the polynomial for the given value. 1 5
P(x) = 5x2 + 9x + 3 for x = . 1 5
Write the coefficients of the dividend. Use a = . 1 5 1 2 5 10 5
P( ) = 5 1 5

24. Example 4: Geometry Application
Write an expression that represents the area of the top face of a rectangular prism when the height is x + 2 and the volume of the prism is x3 – x2 – 6x.
The volume V is related to the area A and the
height h by the equation V = A  h. Rearranging for A gives A = . V h
x3 – x2 – 6x
x + 2
A(x) =
Substitute. –2
1 –1 –6 0
Use synthetic division.
The area of the face of the rectangular prism can be represented by A(x)= x2 – 3x. –2 6 1 –3

25. Huddle
Write an expression for the length of a rectangle with width y – 9 and area y2 – 14y + 45.
The area A is related to the width w and the length l by the equation A = l  w.
y2 – 14y + 45
y – 9
l(x) =
Substitute. 9
1 –14 45
Use synthetic division. 9
–45 1 –5
The length of the rectangle can be represented by l(x)= y – 5.

26. Lesson Quiz
1. Divide by using long division. (8x3 + 6x2 + 7) ÷ (x + 2)
8x2 – 10x + 20 – 33
x + 2
2. Divide by using synthetic division. (x3 – 3x + 5) ÷ (x + 2)
x2 – 2x + 1 + 3
x + 2
3. Use synthetic substitution to evaluate P(x) = x3 + 3x2 – 6 for x = 5 and x = –1.
194; –4
4. Find an expression for the height of a parallelogram whose area is represented by 2x3 – x2 – 20x + 3 and whose base is represented by (x + 3).
2x2 – 7x + 1