A step-by-step process of how to use the FOIL method

2. When do you use the FOIL
method?
Example of when you use FOIL:
(x+3)(x+7)

3. FOIL stands for…

4. How you use the FOIL
method
Back to our example (x+3)(x+7)

5. The next step of FOIL is “outer” so
you now multiply the outermost
terms together
In our example of (x+3)(x+7) the outer
most terms are “x” and “7” so
multiplying those together equals “7x”
Once you get an answer you add it to
the previous answer you got. In this
case we add “7x” to “x2” so we now have
“x2+7x”

6. “Inner” is the next step of our
method which means you multiply
together the innermost two terms
“3” and “x” are our innermost two
terms in our example (x+3)(x+7) so
together they equal “3x”
Once again we add this answer to our
previous answer so we now have
“x2+7x+3x”

7. The next step of FOIL is “last” so
you now multiply the terms which
occur last in both of our binomials
Since “3” and “7” are the terms that occur
last in our binomials your last answer you
get is “21”
Because you got another answer you
again add that to our previous
answers. In this case you get
“x2+7x+3x+21”

8. The last step of the FOIL
method is to simply