Factoring Polynomials

Exercise 3: Complete the factors of the following Exercise 4: Look for 5 different perfect square
polynomials. trinomials found in the box.
3 3
1. a −3 = ¿__¿( __−3 a+ 9¿  Greatest Common Factor
2. 3 2
b + 8=¿ (¿¿ +2) ( b −2 b+¿ ¿  Difference of two squares
3. 3 2
x + 125 = ¿( x −5 x+ 25¿  Sum and Difference of Two Cubes
 Factoring General Trinomial
4. 8 a 3−1 = (2 a−1)( ¿¿ +¿ ¿
64−x y =¿( ¿¿ +¿ ¿
3 3
5.

Factoring Perfect Square Trinomial

Factoring General Trinomial
A trinomial is a perfect square trinomial if it can
be factored into a binomial multiplied to itself. A Factoring is an inverse process of
To factor trinomial with 1 as the numerical
multiplication
Perfect Square Trinomial has first and last terms coefficient of the leading term
which are perfect squares and the middle terms is Factoring a polynomial means writing a
twice the product of the square root of the first and x 2−5 x+ 6 a 2+5 a−14 polynomial in the form of the product of two or
last terms. more polynomials.
Factor the first 2 2
For example, in the trinomial term of the
x −5 x+ 6 a +5 a−14
2
x −12 x+36 both x2 and 36 are perfect squares.
, trinomial ( x )( x ) ( a )( a ) There are different ways of factoring
The square root of x2 is x, the square root of 36 is 6, polynomials
List down all the 2 2
and 2 times x times 6 equals 12x, which is equal to factors of the last x −5 x+ 6 a +5 a−14
term The factors of 6 The factors of -14
the middle term., thus x 2−12 x+36 is a perfect are are
square trinomial 1 6 -1 14
Greatest Common Factor
The following formulas can be used when 2 3 1 -14
factoring perfect square trinomials: -1 -6 -2 7
A Common factor , also known as a common
a ²+ 2 ab+b ²=( a+b)² and -2 -3 2 -7
divisor, is a number or term that can divide several
a ²−2 ab+b ²=(a – b)² Identify which Factors of 6 Factors of −14 numbers or terms without a remainder.
factor pair have a
that will sum up that will sums up to
sum equal to the
Example: Factor   x 2+ 4 x +4 numerical to −5 is −2 +5 is 7 and−2 For example, 5 is a common factor of 10 and 15
coefficient of the and−3 Therefore, its factor because 5 divides 10 and 15 without a remainder
middle term is
Since x 2∧4 are both perfect square, And Thus, the factored (10 ÷ 5 = 2 and 15 ÷ 5 = 3); 3 x is a common factor
form is ( a+7 )( a−2 )
2(x )(2)=4 x ,we can conclude that the given ( x−2 ) ( x−3¿ ) * of 6 x and 9 x 2 because 3 x divides 6 x and 9 x 2
expression is a perfect square trinomial. Thus, without a remainder.
the polynomial is factored as
( x +2 )( x +2 )∨( x+ 2) ² Exercise 5: Supply the missing term to make the
mathematical equation true.
1. x 2+ 7 x +6=¿ __¿ ¿__¿
2. y 2−8 y + 9=¿ __−9 ¿ ¿__+1 ¿
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2
3. a + 8 a+15=¿ __¿ ¿__¿
2
4. x + 3 x −28=¿ __¿ ¿__¿
5. x 2−5 x−36=¿__¿ ¿__¿

To factor polynomial with common monomial Factoring Difference of Two Factoring Sum and Difference
factor:
Squares of Two Cubes
Find the greatest common factor of all the terms The sum of the cubes of two terms is equal to the
The factors of difference of two squares is the sum of the cube root of the two terms multiplied by
of the polynomial.
product of two binomials which is the sum and the sum of the squares of these terms minus the
Divide each term of the polynomial by this
difference of its square root of each term.  product of these two terms.
common factor.
Formula: a 2−b 2=(a+b)( a−b)
Put the new polynomial in parentheses and 3 3 2 2
  x + y =(x + y )(x −xy + y )
write the greatest common factor in front of the
Steps in Factoring the Difference of Two
parentheses. Squares:  The difference of the cubes of two terms is equal to
EXAMPLES 1. Take the square roots of the two terms. the difference of the cube roots of the two terms
2. Write the product of the sum and difference of multiplied by the sum of the squares of these two
1. Write 5 x−35 in factored form. the square roots terms plus the product of these two terms.

To write 5 x−35 in factored form,we need to Illustrative Example:  x 3− y 3=( x− y )(x 2+ xy + y 2 )

identify the greatest common factor (GCF) whisch is
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5 , To find the other factor we simply divide each Factor x 2−¿4 y 2 using the difference of two Example 1. Factor   x 3+ 8
term by the greatest common Factor.Thus, squares method.  Currently, the problem is not written in the form that
a. Take the square roots of the two terms.  we want. Each term must be written as a cube, that is,
To factor 5 x−35 we write: 5 ( x−7 ) 2 2 an expression raised to a power of 3. The term with
√ x =x and √ 4 y =2 y
3 2 b. Write the product of the sum and difference of variable x is okay but the 8 should be taken care of.
2. In factoring the polynomial
3 a +27 a ,we need
the square roots.  Obviously, we know that 
to identify the GCF which is 3 a2 (look for the 8 = (2)(2)(2)= 23
(x + 2y) (x – 2y) 
variable with the lowest degree of each term). To find Rewrite the original problem as sum of two cubes.
the other factor divide each term by the GCF. Since this is the Sum case, the binomial factor and
3 2
Therefore x 2 – 4 y 2=(x +2 y)(x – 2 y)
3a 27 a trinomial factor will have positive and negative middle
2
=a , 2
=9 , thus the factor of 3 a3 +27 a2 sign respectively.
3a 3a Exercise 2: Factor the following difference of 3 3
x + 8=(x) +(2)
3
2
is 3 a (a+9) squares.
3 2
x + 8 =(x +2)( ( x ) − (2 )( x ) + ( 2 )( 2 ) ).
Exercise 1 Factor the following polynomial by 1. x ²−49 _________________
2
completing the table below 2. 4 a ²−1 _________________ x 3+ 8 =(x +2)( x −2 x +4 ).
3. 36−a ² b ² _________________ Example 2 Factor x 3−64
4. 9 b ²−4 c ² _________________
3 3 3
x −64=( x ) −(4)
5. y ²−121 __________________
¿ ( x−4 ) ( x + ( 4 )( x ) +16 )
2

¿ ( x−4 ) ( x + 4 x +16 )
2
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