Find the volume of a prism if the length is 2p-3 the width is p+2 and the height is p-4

Question

directrix · Answer

Is this a rectangular prism?

directrix · Answer

@volleyballgirl13

campbell_st · Answer

volume is 

$$V = length.. \times.. width.. \times height..$$

so $$V = (2p -3) \times (p + 2) \times (p - 4)$$

just multiply it out for a cubic equation.

anonymous · Answer

Yes a rectangular prism.

directrix · Answer

@VolleyballGirl13   
Do you have an idea as to what the answer might be, assuming you did the multiplication above?

anonymous · Answer

I got 2p³-5

directrix · Answer

What did you get when you multiplied (2p - 3) times (p + 2) ?

directrix · Answer

I think I see your error.

(2p-3) (p+2) (p-4)

You, I think, multiplied 2p times p times p to get 2p^3.
Then, you added -3 and 2 and -4. 
That is not how binomials are correctly multiplied.

campbell_st · Answer

just do it in parts.. look at the 1st 2 binomials

$$(2p - 3)(p + 2) = 2p^2 + p - 6$$

so you need to distribute 

$$(2p^2 + p - 6) \times (p - 4)$$