Pre-Calculus 11 Week 5 – Factoring Quadratic Expressions

This week, we learned how to solve quadratic equations. A quadratic equation looks something like this: x^2 + 3x + 2

x^2 + x + n (n representing a number) Is what you’ll see most of the time. To solve these questions you factor it into two binomials. To check if your answer is correct, distribute the two binomials, and your answer should be the same as your quadratic equation.

The best way to find out what your two binomials are is to think about this: what are two numbers that multiply together to make your term, but also add together to made your middle term? For the above question, your answer is simple. The only numbers that multiply together to make 2 are 1 and 2. If you add 1 and 2 together, you will get your middle term, 3! What about a harder question?

Our question is x^2 + 7x + 12. I wrote down the multiples that could make 12. Then I find out which ones can add together to make our middle term, 7. The multiples 3 and 4 work! So our answer is (x+3)(x+4)!

 

 

 

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