Using the Binomial Theorem, what would be the coefficient of the sixth term in the binomial expansion of (a+b)9 ?(1 point)

1 answer

To find the coefficient of the sixth term in the binomial expansion of \((a + b)^9\) using the Binomial Theorem, we start by recalling the general formula for the \(k\)-th term in the expansion of \((a + b)^n\):

\[ T_k = \binom{n}{k-1} a^{n-(k-1)} b^{k-1} \]

where \(n\) is the exponent, \(k\) is the term number, and \(\binom{n}{k-1}\) is the binomial coefficient.

In this case, \(n = 9\) and we want the sixth term, which means \(k = 6\).

Using the formula:

\[ T_6 = \binom{9}{6-1} a^{9-(6-1)} b^{6-1} \]

Calculating the components:

  1. \( \binom{9}{6-1} = \binom{9}{5} \)
  2. The exponent of \(a\) is \(9 - (6 - 1) = 9 - 5 = 4\).
  3. The exponent of \(b\) is \(6 - 1 = 5\).

Now we compute \(\binom{9}{5}\):

\[ \binom{9}{5} = \frac{9!}{5!(9-5)!} = \frac{9!}{5! \cdot 4!} = \frac{9 \times 8 \times 7}{3 \times 2 \times 1} = 126 \]

Putting it all together, the sixth term is:

\[ T_6 = \binom{9}{5} a^4 b^5 = 126 a^4 b^5 \]

Thus, the coefficient of the sixth term in the binomial expansion of \((a + b)^9\) is:

\[ \boxed{126} \]