Is this statement true

(x + y)^2 = x^2 + y^2

If not then is there a way to expand that at all?

Multiply x+y by itself and see if you get x^2 + y^2

(x+y)^2 = x^2 + 2xy + y^2

(x+y)^2 = x^2 + 2xy + y^2

This is what I got too.

No, the statement (x + y)^2 = x^2 + y^2 is not true in general. This is because of the expanding and simplifying process when squaring the binomial.

To demonstrate this, let's expand and simplify both sides of the equation:

First, we'll expand (x + y)^2 using the formula for squaring a binomial:
(x + y)^2 = x^2 + 2xy + y^2

Now let's compare this with the right side of the equation, which is x^2 + y^2. As you can see, the expanded form of (x + y)^2 has an additional term of 2xy compared to the right side x^2 + y^2.

Therefore, (x + y)^2 is not equal to x^2 + y^2 in general.

If you encounter similar equations, always remember the formula for squaring a binomial: (x + y)^2 = x^2 + 2xy + y^2. This will help you accurately expand and simplify the expression.