What does the acronym FOIL stand for?

What does the acronym FOIL stand for?

• A. First, Outside, Inside, Last.
• B. First, Inside, Outside, Last.
• C. First, Outside, Inside, Last.
• D. Last, Outside, Inside, First.

Answer: (C)

FOIL is a mnemonic that helps you remember the order you multiply terms when you multiply two binomials. It stands for First, Outer, Inner, Last. When you multiply (a + b)(c + d), you multiply the First terms (a*c), then the Outer terms (a*d), then the Inner terms (b*c), and finally the Last terms (b*d). Adding those products gives the final expanded form. For example, (x + 3)(x + 5) gives x^2 + 5x + 3x + 15, which simplifies to x^2 + 8x + 15. The sequence First, Outer, Inner, Last matches the standard way to organize these steps, and the option presented reflects that order (using Outside/Inside as synonyms). Other orders mix up the steps and don’t follow the remembered sequence.

FOIL is a mnemonic that helps you remember the order you multiply terms when you multiply two binomials. It stands for First, Outer, Inner, Last. When you multiply (a + b)(c + d), you multiply the First terms (ac), then the Outer terms (ad), then the Inner terms (bc), and finally the Last terms (bd). Adding those products gives the final expanded form. For example, (x + 3)(x + 5) gives x^2 + 5x + 3x + 15, which simplifies to x^2 + 8x + 15. The sequence First, Outer, Inner, Last matches the standard way to organize these steps, and the option presented reflects that order (using Outside/Inside as synonyms). Other orders mix up the steps and don’t follow the remembered sequence.