Showing posts with label Trinomials. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trinomials. Show all posts

Friday, August 31, 2012

Factoring Quadratic Trinomials

Introduction

In elementary algebra, a trinomial is a polynomial consisting of three terms or monomials. In mathematics, factorization (also factorisation in British English) or factoring is the decomposition of an object (for example, a number, a polynomial, or a matrix) into a product of other objects, or factors, which when multiplied together give the original. In this article we shall discuss about factoring quadratic trinomial.

My forthcoming post is on math word problems 6th grade, math problem solver with steps free will give you more understanding about Algebra

Example Problem on Factoring Trinomials

Problem 1:

Factoring trinomials

15 – 2x – x2.

Solution: Writing in the standard form,

15 – 2x – x2 = –x2 – 2x + 15

= (–1) (x2 + 2x – 15).

Here, we find –15 = 5 × –3, 5 + (–3) = 2

Hence, we get 15 – 2x – x2 = (–1) [(x+5) {x + (–3)}]

= (–1) (x +5)(x – 3)

= (x + 5) ( 3 – x).

Problem 2:

Factoring  trinomials

x2 – x – 132.

Solution: We find –132 = (–12) × (11), (–12) + 11 = –1.

Hence we get x2 – x – 132 = [x + (–12)] (x + 11) = (x – 12) (x + 11).

Next, we consider the quadratic polynomial ax2 + bx + c where a, b, c are integers and a ≠0,1. If we are able to find two integers p and q such that pq = ac and p + q = b. Then

ax2 + bx + c =`1/a ` (a2x2 + abx + ac)

=`1/a` [a2x2 + a(p+q)x + pq]= `1/a` [a2x2 + apx + aqx + pq]=`1/a` [ax (ax + p) + q(ax + p)]

=`1/a` (ax + p) (ax + q)

Thus, we are able to factorize the expression

Problem 3:

Factoring trinomial

2x2+ 7x + 3.

Solution: Here a = coefficient of x2 = 2

b = coefficient of x = 7

c = constant term = 3

We find a × c = 2 × 3 = 6 = 6 × 1, 6 + 1 = 7 = b. Hence

2x2 + 7x + 3 = 21 (2x + 6) (2x + 1) =(x+3)(2x+1).

Instead of applying the final result of the rule, we can also do the factorization by splitting the middle term and grouping as follows:

2x2 + 7x + 3 = 2x2 + (6 + 1)x + 3

= 2x2 + 6x + x + 3

= 2x(x + 3) + (1)(x+3) = (2x+1) (x+3).

Practice Problem on Factoring Quadratic Trinomials

Problem 1:

Factorize 8a2 + 2a – 3.

Answer:

(4a + 3) (2a – 1)

Problem 2:

Factorize 6 + 11/2 x + x2.

Answer:

1/2 (x + 4) (2x + 3).