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Factoring Polynomials

The document discusses factoring polynomials. It begins by explaining how to find the greatest common factor of terms. It then provides examples of factoring binomials using difference of squares, sum of squares, difference of cubes, and sum of cubes. The document also discusses factoring trinomials using grouping, reverse foil, and trial and error methods. Finally, it provides examples of factoring polynomials with four terms by grouping terms. Practice problems with solutions are provided.

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36 views

Factoring Polynomials

The document discusses factoring polynomials. It begins by explaining how to find the greatest common factor of terms. It then provides examples of factoring binomials using difference of squares, sum of squares, difference of cubes, and sum of cubes. The document also discusses factoring trinomials using grouping, reverse foil, and trial and error methods. Finally, it provides examples of factoring polynomials with four terms by grouping terms. Practice problems with solutions are provided.

Uploaded by

rcraze821
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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FACTORING POLYNOMIALS

1) First determine if a common monomial factor (Greatest Common Factor) exists. Factor trees may be used to find the
GCF of difficult numbers. Be aware of opposites: Ex. (a-b) and (b-a) These may become the same by factoring -1
from one of them.
3  12  3  4
  3     3
6       6 

2) If the problem to be factored is a binomial, see if it fits one of the following situations.

A. Difference of two squares:


        
9  25  3 5 3  5
   25    5   5    5  5
B. Sum of two squares:
  does not factor (it is prime).
C. Sum of two cubes:
         

8 27   2 3 4  6 9

Note: Resulting trinomial does not factor.


D. Difference of two cubes:
          
   64    4  4 16

Note: Resulting trinomial does not factor.

E. If none of these occur, the binomial does not factor.

3) If the problem is a trinomial, check for one of the following possibilities.

A. Square of a binomial:
 2         
 6 9   3  3   3
4  20 25  2  5
B. If   1, use reverse foil or trial and error method:
 7 12   3  4
  7 12    3   4
 3  18   6   3
  3  18    6  3
C. If   1, use trial and error method. (Grouping may also be used.)

4) If factoring a polynomial with four terms, possible choices are below.

A. Group first two terms together and last two terms together.
5  5     5  5    5           5  
   3 2  6     3 2  6     3 2  3    3  2

B. Group first three terms together.


 6 9   6 9    3    3  3     3  3

C. Group last three terms together.


 6  9     6 9     3    3     3    3   3

BE SURE YOUR ANSWERS WILL NOT FACTOR FURTHER!


All answers may be checked by multiplication.
PRACTICE PROBLEMS:

1. 9 21. 3   10

2. 5 15  22. 5  84
3. 12   20  8  16 23. 8  16  28
4.   36 24. 12   31 20
5. 25   25. 6  7  10
6. 4  49 26. 8  6  9
7.    100 27. 6    2
8. 9    28. 2   14  20
 
9. 8 29.  2 2
10. 64  30.        
11.    27 31.   8    8
12. 5   40 
32.   25 3  75

13. 2  128 33. 16   2 
14.    64 34. 2   6 3
15.   10 25 35. 6 23 20
16. 4 16 16 36. 9 15 4
17. 16 56 49 37. 8!  6!  9
18. 20 4 25 38. 25  10 
19.  9 20 39. 16  " 
20. 2  16 32 40.      

ANSWERS:

1.  9 2. 5  3 3. 43   5  2  4 4.  6   6
5. 5  5   6. 2 7 2  7 7.   10    10
8. 3  3   9.  2  2 4 10. 4 1 16 4 1
11.   3  3 9 12. 5  2  2 4 13. 2   4  4 16
14.  2   2 4   2  2 4 15.   5 16. 4 2 17. 4 7
18. 5  2 19.  5  4 20. 2  4 21.  5   2 22.  12   7
23. 42 1   4 24. 4  5 3  4 25.   2 6 5 26. 4 3 2  3
27. 3  2 2   1 28. 2   5    2 29.   1  2 30.  1   1
31.  8  1   1 32.  3  5   5 33. 4  4  
34. 2     3 35. 3 4 2 5 36. 3 1 3 4 37. 4! 3 2!  3
38. 5   or   5 39. 4 " 2 " 2  " 40.     
MORE PRACTICE PROBLEMS:

41.   6  16 61. 4 1  4
42.   10 24 62. 15 12 29
43.  3 2 63. 8#  2#  3
44.   3 2 64. 35 3  20
45.     30 65. 25 8 30
46.  7  8 66. 12 3 13
47.  2 67. 9  27 20
48.   5 6 68. 25$  15$  18
49.  10 16 69. 12%  4%  5
50.    72 70. 5& 3& 4
51.   8  9 71. 4 15 16
52.  2  48 72. 20 6 23
53.   13 42 73. 6  19 10
54.  8 12 74. 35 13  4
55. 4   8  12 75. 50 10  12
56. 2   2  4 76. 30  25 30
57. 2   4  6 77. 18 18 20
58. 3   6  9 78. 3   22 7
59. 5   35 50 79. 15  18  24
60. 3  18  21 80. 4   25 6

ANSWERS:
41.   8  2 42.   6   4 43.  2  1 44.   2   1
45.   6  5 46.  8   1 47.  2   1 48.   3   2
49.  8  2 50.  9   8 51.   9  1 52.  8   6
53.   7   6 54.  6  2 55. 4  3  1 56. 2  2  1
57. 2  3  1 58. 3  3  1 59. 5   5   2 60. 3  7   1 61.
2  1 62. 3 4 5 3 63. 2# 1 4#  3 64. 5 4 7  5
65. 5 4 5 2 66. 3 1 4 3 67. 3  5 3  4 68. 5$ 3 5$  6 69.
2% 1 6%  5 70. '#(!) *++, ) %-,#). 71. 2 3 2 5
72. 5 2 4 3 73. 2  5 3  2 74. 7 4 5  1
75. 25 3 5  2 76. 52 3 3  2 77. 23  5 3 2
78. 3  1   7 79. 35 4   2 80. 4  1   6
MORE PRACTICE PROBLEMS:

81. 125   1 101. 5  2 3


82. "  64 102.    343
83.  12 36 103. 40 28  48
84.   8  48 104. 3  5- .
85.   7 12 105. 8-   125. 
86. 25 8 106. 81  18& &
87.   3  7   3   4 107.  10  25
88. 6 12 6 108. &  "  & "
89.  11 18 109. 5  36
90. 40 3   110.   11  42
91. 3   12 111. 7  7
92. 250  2 112. 216  

93. 7  7&  113. 81 18
    5  14
94. 2 5  12 114.
 
95. 24  7  5 115.  10 21

96. 14  32 116. 9  25
97. 0.04" 0.28" 0.49 117. 105 8  
98. 4  40 64 118.   3  2
 
99. 64 27 119. 6 48
100.
0
 120.   14 49
0

ANSWERS:
81. 5  1 25 5 1 82. " 8 "  8 83.   6 84.   12  4
85.   4   3 86. '#(!) *++, ) %-,#). 87.   3 2 3
88. 6 1 89.   9   2 90. 8   5  91. 3    4
92. 25 1 25  5 1 93. 7 &  &  & 94. 2  3  4
95. 8  5 3 1 96.   2  16 97. 0.2" 0.7 98. 4 2  8
0 0
99. 4 3 16  12 9 100. 12 3 12  3 101. '#(!) *++, ) %-,#). 102.

  7  7 49 103. 42 3 5  4 104. 3  5- .


105. 2-  5. 4-  10- . 25. 106. 9  & 107.   5
108.   &  " 109.   4  9 110.   14  3 111. 7    
112. 6   36 6  113. 9 114.   7  2 115.  3  7 116.
3 5 3  5 117. 7  15   118. '#(!) *++, ) %-,#).
119. 6 2  2 4 120.   7
121. 3  34  24 131.   0.6 0.09
122.  8 16 132. 4  13  35
123.  121 133. 125   81
124. 42  134. 49   14 
125. 9   24 16 135. 40 7 3
0
126.   136. 15"  15"  90

137. 0.04  0.49
127. 10" 29"  21
138.  7  18
128. 16 54  7
129. 27  30  8
139. 2   54 

0
130.   1 140.   5 25


ANSWERS:
121.   12 3 2 122.  4
0 0 0
123.  11   11 124. 7   6  125. 3  4 126. 1  3 1  
3

127. 5"  3 2" 7 128. 2 7 8  1 129. 9 2 3  4


130.  1   1    1   1 131.   0.3 132.   5 4 7
133. '#(!) *++, ) %-,#). 134. 7  1 135. 8 3 5  1
136. 15" 2 "  3 137. 0.2 0.7 0.2  0.7 138.    2  9
0
139. 2  3   3 9 
140. 1   53

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