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Factoring
Factor by applying the trinomial factoring strategy. The constant term is negative, so the two numbers must have opposite signs. This time, we need factors of whose sum is .
Step 1 — Set up two binomials with first terms : .
Step 2 — Find two numbers with opposite signs that multiply to and add to . List both sign arrangements:
| Factors of | Sum of factors |
|---|---|
| ✓ | |
The pair and has a product of and a sum of .
Step 3 — Use and as the last terms of the binomials: .
Step 4 — Check by multiplying: ✓.
The factored form is . Compared to , the same factor pair of is used, but with the signs assigned to opposite binomials. This shows that it is critical to select the sign arrangement that produces the correct sign of the middle term.
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Ch.7 Factoring - Elementary Algebra @ OpenStax
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Factoring
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Learn After
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