Ratio of coefficients condition

A question is this type if and only if it gives a relationship between two coefficients (e.g., ratio or equality) and asks to find unknown parameters.

26 questions

CAIE P1 2022 June Q1
1 The coefficient of \(x ^ { 4 }\) in the expansion of \(( 3 + x ) ^ { 5 }\) is equal to the coefficient of \(x ^ { 2 }\) in the expansion of \(\left( 2 x + \frac { a } { x } \right) ^ { 6 }\). Find the value of the positive constant \(a\).
CAIE P1 2024 June Q1
1 The coefficient of \(x ^ { 2 }\) in the expansion of \(( 1 - 4 x ) ^ { 6 }\) is 12 times the coefficient of \(x ^ { 2 }\) in the expansion of \(( 2 + a x ) ^ { 5 }\). Find the value of the positive constant \(a\).
CAIE P1 2023 March Q6
6 In the expansion of \(\left( \frac { x } { a } + \frac { a } { x ^ { 2 } } \right) ^ { 7 }\), it is given that $$\frac { \text { the coefficient of } x ^ { 4 } } { \text { the coefficient of } x } = 3 \text {. }$$ Find the possible values of the constant \(a\).
CAIE P1 2020 November Q5
5 In the expansion of \(\left( 2 x ^ { 2 } + \frac { a } { x } \right) ^ { 6 }\), the coefficients of \(x ^ { 6 }\) and \(x ^ { 3 }\) are equal.
  1. Find the value of the non-zero constant \(a\).
  2. Find the coefficient of \(x ^ { 6 }\) in the expansion of \(\left( 1 - x ^ { 3 } \right) \left( 2 x ^ { 2 } + \frac { a } { x } \right) ^ { 6 }\).
CAIE P1 2023 November Q1
1 The coefficient of \(x ^ { 3 }\) in the expansion of \(( 3 + 2 a x ) ^ { 5 }\) is six times the coefficient of \(x ^ { 2 }\) in the expansion of \(( 2 + a x ) ^ { 6 }\). Find the value of the constant \(a\).
CAIE P1 2017 June Q1
1 The coefficients of \(x ^ { 2 }\) and \(x ^ { 3 }\) in the expansion of \(( 3 - 2 x ) ^ { 6 }\) are \(a\) and \(b\) respectively. Find the value of \(\frac { a } { b }\).
CAIE P1 2017 June Q1
1 The coefficients of \(x\) and \(x ^ { 2 }\) in the expansion of \(( 2 + a x ) ^ { 7 }\) are equal. Find the value of the non-zero constant \(a\).
CAIE P1 2009 November Q2
2
  1. Find, in terms of the non-zero constant \(k\), the first 4 terms in the expansion of \(( k + x ) ^ { 8 }\) in ascending powers of \(x\).
  2. Given that the coefficients of \(x ^ { 2 }\) and \(x ^ { 3 }\) in this expansion are equal, find the value of \(k\).
CAIE P1 2014 November Q1
1 In the expansion of \(( 2 + a x ) ^ { 7 }\), the coefficient of \(x\) is equal to the coefficient of \(x ^ { 2 }\). Find the value of the non-zero constant \(a\).
CAIE P1 2014 November Q1
1 In the expansion of \(( 2 + a x ) ^ { 6 }\), the coefficient of \(x ^ { 2 }\) is equal to the coefficient of \(x ^ { 3 }\). Find the value of the non-zero constant \(a\).
CAIE P1 2015 November Q2
2 In the expansion of \(( x + 2 k ) ^ { 7 }\), where \(k\) is a non-zero constant, the coefficients of \(x ^ { 4 }\) and \(x ^ { 5 }\) are equal. Find the value of \(k\).
Edexcel C12 2015 June Q6
6. (a) Find the first 3 terms in ascending powers of \(x\) of the binomial expansion of $$( 2 + a x ) ^ { 6 }$$ where \(a\) is a non-zero constant. Give each term in its simplest form. Given that, in the expansion, the coefficient of \(x\) is equal to the coefficient of \(x ^ { 2 }\)
(b) find the value of \(a\).
Edexcel C12 2016 October Q5
5. (a) Find the first 4 terms, in ascending powers of \(x\), of the binomial expansion of $$\left( 3 - \frac { a x } { 2 } \right) ^ { 5 }$$ where \(a\) is a positive constant. Give each term in its simplest form. Given that, in the expansion, the coefficient of \(x\) is equal to the coefficient of \(x ^ { 3 }\),
(b) find the exact value of \(a\) in its simplest form.
Edexcel C2 2011 January Q5
  1. Given that \(\binom { 40 } { 4 } = \frac { 40 ! } { 4 ! b ! }\),
    1. write down the value of \(b\).
    In the binomial expansion of \(( 1 + x ) ^ { 40 }\), the coefficients of \(x ^ { 4 }\) and \(x ^ { 5 }\) are \(p\) and \(q\) respectively.
  2. Find the value of \(\frac { q } { p }\).
OCR C2 2016 June Q3
3
  1. Find the binomial expansion of \(( 3 + k x ) ^ { 3 }\), simplifying the terms.
  2. It is given that, in the expansion of \(( 3 + k x ) ^ { 3 }\), the coefficient of \(x ^ { 2 }\) is equal to the constant term. Find the possible values of \(k\), giving your answers in an exact form.
Edexcel AS Paper 1 2020 June Q6
  1. (a) Find the first 4 terms, in ascending powers of \(x\), in the binomial expansion of
$$( 1 + k x ) ^ { 10 }$$ where \(k\) is a non-zero constant. Write each coefficient as simply as possible. Given that in the expansion of \(( 1 + k x ) ^ { 10 }\) the coefficient \(x ^ { 3 }\) is 3 times the coefficient of \(x\), (b) find the possible values of \(k\).
Edexcel PMT Mocks Q4
  1. In the binomial expansion of \(( 2 - k x ) ^ { 10 }\) where \(k\) is a non-zero positive constant.
The coefficient of \(x ^ { 4 }\) is 256 times the coefficient of \(x ^ { 6 }\).
Find the value of \(k\).
Edexcel C2 Q1
  1. (a) Write down the first four terms of the binomial expansion, in ascending powers of \(x\), of \(( 1 + 3 x ) ^ { n }\), where \(n > 2\).
Given that the coefficient of \(x ^ { 3 }\) in this expansion is ten times the coefficient of \(x ^ { 2 }\),
(b) find the value of \(n\),
(c) find the coefficient of \(x ^ { 4 }\) in the expansion.
Edexcel C2 Q3
3. For the binomial expansion in ascending powers of \(x\) of \(\left( 1 + \frac { 1 } { 4 } x \right) ^ { n }\), where \(n\) is an integer and \(n \geq 2\),
  1. find and simplify the first three terms,
  2. find the value of \(n\) for which the coefficient of \(x\) is equal to the coefficient of \(x ^ { 2 }\).
SPS SPS SM Pure 2021 June Q6
6. (a) Find the first 4 terms, in ascending powers of \(x\), in the binomial expansion of $$( 1 + k x ) ^ { 10 }$$ where \(k\) is a non-zero constant. Write each coefficient as simply as possible. Given that in the expansion of \(( 1 + k x ) ^ { 10 }\) the coefficient \(x ^ { 3 }\) is 3 times the coefficient of \(x\), (b) find the possible values of \(k\).
SPS SPS FM Pure 2023 November Q10
10. (a) Find the first 4 terms, in ascending powers of \(x\), in the binomial expansion of $$( 1 + k x ) ^ { 10 }$$ where \(k\) is a non-zero constant. Write each coefficient as simply as possible. Given that in the expansion of \(( 1 + k x ) ^ { 10 }\) the coefficient \(x ^ { 3 }\) is 3 times the coefficient of \(x\), (b) find the possible values of \(k\).
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SPS SPS SM Pure 2024 June Q14
  1. In this question you must show detailed reasoning.
Solutions relying entirely on calculator technology are not acceptable. $$f ( x ) = \left( 2 + \frac { k x } { 8 } \right) ^ { 7 } \quad \text { where } k \text { is a non-zero constant }$$
  1. Find the first 4 terms, in ascending powers of \(x\), of the binomial expansion of \(\mathrm { f } ( x )\). Give each term in simplest form. Given that, in the binomial expansion of \(\mathrm { f } ( x )\), the coefficients of \(x , x ^ { 2 }\) and \(x ^ { 3 }\) are the first 3 terms of an arithmetic progression,
  2. find, using algebra, the possible values of \(k\).
    (Solutions relying entirely on calculator technology are not acceptable.)
SPS SPS FM 2026 November Q10
10. (a) Find the first 4 terms, in ascending powers of \(x\), in the binomial expansion of $$( 1 + k x ) ^ { 10 }$$ where \(k\) is a non-zero constant. Write each coefficient as simply as possible. Given that in the expansion of \(( 1 + k x ) ^ { 10 }\) the coefficient \(x ^ { 3 }\) is 3 times the coefficient of \(x\), (b) find the possible values of \(k\).
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OCR C2 Q3
3. For the binomial expansion in ascending powers of \(x\) of \(\left( 1 + \frac { 1 } { 4 } x \right) ^ { n }\), where \(n\) is an integer and \(n \geq 2\),
  1. find and simplify the first three terms,
  2. find the value of \(n\) for which the coefficient of \(x\) is equal to the coefficient of \(x ^ { 2 }\).
AQA AS Paper 2 2018 June Q10
10 In the binomial expansion of \(( 1 + x ) ^ { n }\), where \(n \geq 4\), the coefficient of \(x ^ { 4 }\) is \(1 \frac { 1 } { 2 }\) times the sum of the coefficients of \(x ^ { 2 }\) and \(x ^ { 3 }\) Find the value of \(n\).