Use Pascal's Triangle to expand $(3 s+2)^5$.
To expand \((3s+2)^5\), we utilize the Binomial Theorem, which states that for any non-negative integer \(n\), \((x+y)^n = \sum_{k=0}^{n} \binom{n}{k} x^{n-k} y^k\). In this specific case, \(n=5\), \(x=3s\), and \(y=2\). The coefficients \(\binom{n}{k}\) can be obtained from the 5th row of Pascal's Triangle, which are 1, 5, 10, 10, 5, and 1.
We set up the expansion as follows:
\((3s+2)^5 = \binom{5}{0}(3s)^5(2)^0 + \binom{5}{1}(3s)^4(2)^1 + \binom{5}{2}(3s)^3(2)^2 + \binom{5}{3}(3s)^2(2)^3 + \binom{5}{4}(3s)^1(2)^4 + \binom{5}{5}(3s)^0(2)^5\).
Substituting the coefficients from Pascal's Triangle (1, 5, 10, 10, 5, 1):
\((3s+2)^5 = 1 \cdot (3s)^5 \cdot 1 + 5 \cdot (3s)^4 \cdot 2 + 10 \cdot (3s)^3 \cdot 4 + 10 \cdot (3s)^2 \cdot 8 + 5 \cdot (3s)^1 \cdot 16 + 1 \cdot 1 \cdot 32\).
Now we compute each individual term:
Combining these results gives the full expanded polynomial.
The final expanded polynomial for \((3s+2)^5\) is \(243s^5 + 810s^4 + 1080s^3 + 720s^2 + 240s + 32\). Thus, \((3s+2)^5 = \boxed{243s^5 + 810s^4 + 1080s^3 + 720s^2 + 240s + 32}\).
Binomial expansion is essential in various fields such as finance, where it helps calculate the future value of investments over multiple periods, and physics, where it is used to approximate complex functions in problems involving series. For instance, if you're predicting compound interest growth for an investment over five stages with a constant rate, binomial expansion provides a quick, systematic way to determine the total accumulation. Understanding how to expand binomials efficiently allows for faster problem-solving in data modeling and statistical analysis.