(a+b+c)^2 Bigger is just funner.

Ran across a post from a fellow blogger from India.

Here is a clearer representation of (a+b+c)²

I just made a quick sketch and did not label it properly but you get the idea quite easily I think. Each side is a+b+c or (a+b+c)² which if you count up all the parts is

a² + 2ab + 2ac + b² + 2cb + c²

Some people would call this advanced algebra but really given time any little kid could count that up...

For the purists out there: as you go from left to right in the drawing it is correct but above the a² it should be "ab" and "ac", and the other black square should be a "bc" because the pattern is over then up... → ↑ for multiplication.



Just to be sure I gave it to a 12 year old to do and he had no problems with it...just took a while to count and label all the parts.


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