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SEMESTER: SPRING 2020

MTH 1109 G: COLLEGE ALGEBRA


TOPIC: FACTORING EXPRESSIONS

Lecture Outline
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Objectives
1.3 Factoring Equations with common factors
1.4 Factoring Trinomials
1.5. Special Factoring Formulas
1.6. Factoring Fractions and Factoring by grouping of terms
1.7 Summary

1.1 Introduction
This is our forth lecture of spring 2019. In this topic we use distributive property to expand
algebraic expressions by factoring out the Greatest Common Factor.

1.2 Objectives

1. Understand different types of expressions


2. Be able to factor out common terms and use factoring formulas

1.3. Common Factors

The easiest type of factoring is when the terms have a common factor.
Examples

1. 4 x 2  12 x  4 x( x  3)
2. 8x 2 y 4  4 x 4 y 6  6 xy 2  2 xy 2 (4 xy 2  2 x 3 y 4  3)
3. ( x  4)( x  5)  5( x  5)  [( x  4)  5]( x  5)  ( x  1)( x  5)
4. ( x  2)( x  3)  4( x  3)  [( x  2)  4]( x  3)  ( x  2)( x  3)
1.4. Factoring Trinomials (Quadratic Equations)

A quadratic expression is given by the general equation ax 2  bx  c where a does not equal 1.
To get the solution of a quadratic expressions follow the steps below.

Step 1: Check to see if it has a common factor first.

Step 2: Find two integers such that the product of these integers equals the product of a and
c, that is ac, (from ax 2  bx  c ) AND the sum of these integers equals b (from ax 2  bx  c ).

Step 3: Use the two integers from Step 2 to re-write the middle term, bx, as the sum of these two
integers.

Step 4: Common factor the first two terms of the algebraic expression. Then, common factor the
last two terms of the algebraic expression. The objective of this step is to get two factors or
brackets that are the same.

Step 5: Common factor the whole algebraic expression from Step 4.

Remark: If the trinomial is in the form x 2  bx  c where the coefficient of x 2  1 then the
trinomial can be factored to equal (x + m)(x + n) where the product of m x n = c and the sum of
m + n = b.

Example 1:
Factor. 6 x 2  13x  5
Step 1: There is no common factor for 6, 13 and −5.

Step 2: Find two integers such that the product of these integers equals ac and the sum equals b.
ac = 6(−5) = −30
b = 13
Start with looking for two integers whose product is −30 since there is an infinite number of
pairs of integers whose sum is 13.

1. 5(−6) = −30 or −5(6) = −30


2. 3(−10) = 30 or −3(10) = 30
3. 15 (−2) = −30 or −15 (2) = −30
4. 1(−30) = −30 or −1(30) = −30

From the above pairs only 15 + (−2) = 13.

Step 3: Use 15 and −2 to re-write the middle term, 13x, as the sum of these two integers.
13x = 15x + (−2x)
Therefore, 6 x 2  13x  5  6 x 2  15x  2 x  5

Step 4: Common factor the first two terms of the algebraic expression, 6 x 2  15x . Then,
common factor the last two terms of the algebraic expression,− 2x – 5. Therefore
6 x 2  15x  2 x  5  3x(2 x  5)  1(2 x  5)
Note: Factor out −1, so the terms in the two brackets match.
Step 5: Common factor the resulting algebraic expression.
Answer

(3x-1)(2x+5)

Example 2

x 2  7 x  12

Solution
Step 1: Check to see if you can common factor first. In this case, there are no common factors
for x 2 , 7x and 12.

Step 2: Find two integers (negative or positive whole numbers), m and n, that multiply to equal
12 AND add to equal 7.
b=7
c = 12
12 = 12 x 1 12 = (−12)(−1)
12 = 6 x 2 12 = (−6)(−2)
12 = 4 x 3 12 = (−4)(−3)
From the above pairs of integers only 3 and 4 add to 7.

Step 3: Substitute 3 and 4 into (x + m)(x + n)


(x + m)(x + n)
(x + 3)(x + 4)
Thus, x2 + 7x + 12 = (x + 3)(x + 4)

To double check that the factoring was done correctly, expand (x + 3)(x + 4).

1.5 Special Factoring Formulas

1. A2  B 2  ( A  B)( A  B) (Difference of squares)


2. A2 2 AB  B 2  ( A  B) 2 (Perfect square)
3. A2 2 AB  B 2  ( A  B) 2 (Perfect square)
4. A3  B 3  ( A  B)( A2  AB  B 2 ) (difference of cubes)
5. A3  B 3  ( A  B)( A2  AB  B 2 ) (sum of cubes)
Factoring difference and sum of squares

Examples
Factor each polynomial
1. 4 x 2  25
A2  B 2  ( A  B)( A  B)

Solution

4 x 2  25
 A  2 x, B  5
 (2 x)  52  (2 x  5)(2 x  5)
2.

27 x 3  1

A3  B 3  ( A  B)( A2  AB  B 2 )
Solution

27 x 3  1
A  3 x, B  1
(3x) 3  (1) 3
 (3x  1)[(3x) 2  (3x)(1)  12 ]
 (3x  1)(9 x 2  3x  1)

3.

27 x 3  x 6

Solution

A3  B 3  ( A  B)( A 2  AB  B 2 )
A  3 x, B  x 2
 (3x  x 2 )((3x) 2 (3x)( x 2 )  ( x 2 ))
 (3x  x 2 )(9 x 2  3x 3  x 4 )
Factoring perfect squares
Factor out
1. x 2  8x  16
Here A  x, B  4 so 2 AB  8x since the middle term is 8 x then by perfect square formula we
have x 2  8x  16  ( x  4) 2

2. 9 x 2  30 x  25
Here A  3x, B  5 so 2 AB  30 x since the middle term is  15xx then by perfect square
formula we have 9 x 2  30 x  25  (3x  5) 2

Factoring an expression completely


Sometimes an expression needs to be factored more than once. We first factor out common
factors then check the result to see if it can be factored by any of the other methods. This method
is repeated until the expression is factored completely.

Example
Factor out
1.
2 x 4  8x 2

Solution

2 x 4  8x 2
 2 x 2 ( x 2  4)
 2 x 2 ( x  2)( x  2)

2.
12 x 3  18x

3. Solution

6 x(2 x 2  3)

3. x 2 ( x 2  1)  9( x 2  1)

Solution
( x 2  1)( x 2  9)
( x  1)( x  1)( x  3)( x  3)

1.6 Factoring Expressions with Fractional Exponent

NB: Factor out the power with the smallest exponent

Example1

Factor out
5 1
x x2 2

Solution
1
x 2  x2 1 
1
 x 2 ( x  1)( x  1)

Example 2

Factor out
1 1 3
3x 2  4 x 2  x 2

Solution
1
x 2
 3  4x  x 2 
1

 
2
 x x 2  4x  3
1
 x 2 ( x  1)( x  3)
Example 3

Factor out
1 1

( x  1)  2( x  1)
2 2 2 2

Solution
1

( x  1) (( x 2  1)  2)
2 2

1

( x  1) ( x 2  3)
2 2

Factoring by Grouping Terms

Polynomials with at least four terms are factored by grouping terms.

Example

Factor the following

1. 3x 3  x 2  6 x  2
Solution
3x 3  x 2  6 x  2
 x 2 (3x  1)  2(3x  1)
 (3x  1)( x 2  2)

2.  9 x 3  3x 2  3x  1
Solution
 9 x 3  3x 2  3x  1
 3x 2 (3x  1)  (3x  1)
 (3x  1)(3x 2  1)

1.7 Summary

In this lecture we have studied how to factor out common terms in an expression. We have also
studied special factoring formulas which are commonly used.

Thank you.
EXERCISES

Course text

Page 48 -49

Try the following numbers

4, 5, 11, 14, 22, 24, 27, 30, 31, 49, 42, 71, 73, 79, 83, 84

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