Factoring Trinomials

Front

What is a trinomial?

Back

A trinomial is a polynomial with three terms, typically in the form ax^2 + bx + c.

Front

What does it mean to factor a trinomial?

Back

Factoring a trinomial involves rewriting it as a product of two binomials.

Front

What is the general form of a factored trinomial?

Back

The general form is (x + p)(x + q) where p and q are numbers that satisfy the equation.

Front

How do you identify the coefficients in a trinomial?

Back

In the trinomial ax^2 + bx + c, 'a' is the coefficient of x^2, 'b' is the coefficient of x, and 'c' is the constant term.

Front

What is the first step in factoring a trinomial?

Back

The first step is to identify the coefficients a, b, and c from the trinomial.

Front

What is the relationship between the roots and the factors of a trinomial?

Back

The roots of the trinomial are the values of x that make the trinomial equal to zero, and they correspond to the values p and q in the factors (x + p)(x + q).

Front

How do you find the factors of a trinomial?

Back

To find the factors, look for two numbers that multiply to ac (the product of a and c) and add to b.

Front

Factor the trinomial: x^2 + 9x - 36

Back

(x + 12)(x - 3)

Front

Factor the trinomial: x^2 + 7x - 30

Back

(x + 10)(x - 3)

Front

Factor the trinomial: v^2 + 3v - 88

Back

(v + 11)(v - 8)