SPECIAL PRODUCTS AND

FACTORING
Special Products and Factoring

Upon completion, you should be able to

• Find special products

• Factor a polynomial completely

Special Products

rules for finding products in a faster way

long multiplication is the last resort

Product of two binomials

 ax  b  cx  d   acx   ad  bc  x  bd
2

 Examples:

1) (2x – 3)(x – 7)  2 x  14 x  3x  21
2

 2 x  17 x  21
2
Square of a binomial
 a  b   a  2ab  b
2 2 2

a  b  a  2ab  b
2 2 2

 Examples:
1) (2x – 3y)   2 x   2  2 x  3 y    3 y 
2 2 2

a b  4 x  12 xy  9 y
2 2
Product of sum and difference

 a  b  a  b   a 2
b 2

 Examples:
1) (2x+3y )(2x – 3y )   2x    3y 
2 2 2
2 2

a b
 4x2  9y 4
 Cube of a binomial

a  b  a  3a b  3ab  b
3 3 2 2 3

 Examples:
1) (x + y )   x   3  x   y   3  x   y    y 
2 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 3

 x3  3x2y2  3xy 4  y 6

2) (2x – 3y)3
  2x   3  2x 
3 2
 3y   3  2x   3y  2
  3 y 
3

 8x3  36x 2 y  54xy 2  27 y 3

Product of a binomial and a trinomial
 a  b   a  ab  b   a  b
2 2 3 3

a  ba 2
 ab  b 2
a 3
b 3

 Examples:
1) (x + y2)(x2 – xy2 + y4)  x3  y6
2) (2x – 3y)(4x2 + 6xy + 9y2)
  2x    3y   8x3  27y3
3 3

3) (x – y)(x2 + 2xy + y2)

#UseDistributive Pr operty
Factoring

A polynomial with integer coefficients is

said to be prime if it has no monomial or
polynomial factors with integer coefficients
other than itself and one.

A polynomial with integer coefficients is

said to be factored completely when
each of its polynomial factor is prime.
Factoring a common monomial factor

ab  ac  a  b  c 

 Examples:
1) 4x2yz3– 2x4y3z2 +6 x3y2z4

 2x 2
yz 
2 2z  x 2 y 2  3xyz2

Difference of two squares

a  b   a  b  a  b 
2 2

 Examples:
1) 4u2 – 9v2   2u  3v  2u  3v 
2) (a+2b)2 – (3b + c)2
  a  2b    3b  c   a  2b    3b  c 

  a  5b  c  a  b  c 
Factoring trinomials

acx  (ad  bc) x  bd   ax  b  cx  d 

2

 Examples:
1) x2 + 7x + 10   x  5  x  2
6 a  3
2) a2 – 10a + 24   a  8 4
3) a2 + 4ab – 21b2   a  7b  a  3b 
4) 20x2 + 43xy + 14y2   5x  2y  4x  7y 
Perfect square trinomials
a  2ab  b   a  b 
2 2 2

a  2ab  b   a  b 
2 2 2

 Examples:
1) y – 10y + 25   y  5 
2 2

2) 24a3 + 72a2b + 54ab2

 2
 6 a 4 a  12ab  9b
2
  6a 2a  3b
2
Sum and difference of cubes
a  b   a  b   a  ab  b
3 3 2 2

a  b   a  b   a  ab  b
3 3 2 2

 Examples:
1)27 – x3 
  3  x  9  3x  x 2

2)t3 
+ 8   t  2  t  2x  4
2

3) 3y 6 – 6y 3 +3
 6
 3 y  2y  1 3

 3  y  1
3 2

 3  y  1  y  2y  1 
2
 2 
 
Factoring by GROUPING

 Examples:
1) 10a3 + 25a – 4a2 – 10
  
 10 a3  25 a  4 a2  10  Common factor

 5 a  2a2  5   2  2a2  5
  2 a 2  5   5a  2 
Factoring by GROUPING

 Examples:
2) 3xy – yz + 3xw – zw
  3xy  3xw    yz  zw

 3x  y  w   z  y  w
  y  w  3x  z 
Special Products and Factoring
Summary
Always look for a common monomial
factor, FIRST.

Factoring can also be done by grouping

some terms to yield a common polynomial
factor.
Reflection

 When do we use special products?

 Enumerate the special products we
discussed in this unit.
 When is a polynomial completely
factored?
 Enumerate the different types of
factoring.