This week in math I have had some trouble figuring out some of the different strategies for factoring. I will explain how to factor using the completing the square technique.

For this example, the first thing you do is add a zero pair at the end f the equation but before the equal sign, in this equation that was +16 and – 16. Then, you take take the first three terms as your equation to solve first. To do this, you take the second term, and half it, and then square it, in this equation that was 8. Next you take one of the answer you get from that, half all of the equation (only the first three terms), and write them out next to each other (which can be simplified by writing it once and squaring it), adding on the rest of the equation that we where ignoring before. Next, you want to isolate x. To do this, you first have to take away what is not in the brackets first. In this equation, that is -6 (you would add +6 to both sides of the equation). Next, you have to get rid of the square, and to do that youo would root both numbers of both sides of the equation. When you root the other side of the equation, it becomes +-. Since the square and brackets are now gone, you can isolate the x. In this equation, you moved the four to the other side of the equation by adding -4 on both sides. This, would give you the answer.