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A-LevelMathematicsSeries9709/31 · May/June 2020 · Q25 Marks

Expand (2 – 3x)¯² in ascending powers of x, up to and including the term in x², simplifying the coefficients.

  1. (a)Expand (2 – 3x)¯² in ascending powers of x, up to and including the term in x², simplifying the coefficients.[4]
  2. (b)State the set of values of x for which the expansion is valid.[1]

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2020). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

  1. [M1] (a) State a correct unsimplified version of the x or x² term of the expansion of (2 – 3x)⁻² or (1 – (3/2)x)⁻²
  2. [B1] (a) State correct first term 1/4
  3. [A1 + A1] (a) Obtain the next two terms (3/4)x + (27/16)x²
  4. [B1] (b) State answer |x| < 2/3, or equivalent

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About this question

Topic
Series, A-Level Mathematics (syllabus 9709). Structured question, 5 marks.
Source
A-Level Mathematics, May/June 2020 Paper 3 Variant 1, question 2.

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