Factoring Trinomials - Examples, Exercises and Solutions

$$The equation in the problem is:

$x^2+6x+9=0$We want to solve this equation using factoring,

First, we'll check if we can factor out a common factor, but this is not possible, since there is no common factor for all three terms on the left side of the equation, we can identify that we can factor the expression on the left side using the quadratic formula for a trinomial squared, however, we prefer to factor it using the factoring method according to trinomials, let's refer to the search for Factoring by trinomials:

Let's note that the coefficient of the squared term (the term with the second power) is 1, so we can try to perform factoring according to the quick trinomial method: (This factoring is also called "automatic trinomial"),

But before we do this in the problem - let's recall the general rule for factoring by quick trinomial method:

The rule states that for the algebraic quadratic expression of the general form:

$x^2+bx+c$We can find a factorization in the form of a product if we can find two numbers $m,\hspace{4pt}n$such that the following conditions are met (conditions of the quick trinomial method):

$\begin{cases} m\cdot n=c\\ m+n=b \end{cases}$If we can find two such numbers $m,\hspace{4pt}n$then we can factor the general expression mentioned above into the form of a product and present it as:

$x^2+bx+c \\ \downarrow\\ (x+m)(x+n)$which is its factored form (product factors) of the expression,

Let's return now to the equation in the problem that we received in the last stage after arranging it:

$x^2+6x+9=0$Let's note that the coefficients from the general form we mentioned in the rule above:

$x^2+bx+c$are:$\begin{cases} c=9 \\ b=6 \end{cases}$where we didn't forget to consider the coefficient together with its sign,

Let's continue, we want to factor the expression on the left side into factors according to the quick trinomial method, above, so we'll look for a pair of numbers $m,\hspace{4pt}n$ that satisfy:

$\begin{cases} m\cdot n=9\\ m+n=6 \end{cases}$We'll try to identify this pair of numbers through logical thinking and using our knowledge of the multiplication table, we'll start from the multiplication between the two required numbers $m,\hspace{4pt}n$ that is - from the first row of the pair of requirements we mentioned in the last stage:

$m\cdot n=9$We identify that their product needs to give a positive result, and therefore we can conclude that their signs are identical,

Next, we'll consider the factors (integers) of the number 9, and from our knowledge of the multiplication table we can know that there are only two possibilities for such factors: 3 and 3, or 9 and 1, as we previously concluded that their signs must be identical, a quick check of the two possibilities regarding the fulfillment of the second condition:

$m+n=6$ will lead to a quick conclusion that the only possibility for fulfilling both of the above conditions together is:

$3,\hspace{4pt}3$That is - for:

$m=3,\hspace{4pt}n=3$(It doesn't matter which one we call m and which one we call n)

It is satisfied that:

$\begin{cases} \underline{3}\cdot \underline{3}=9\\ \underline{3}+\underline{3}=6 \end{cases}$ From here - we understood what the numbers we are looking for are and therefore we can factor the expression on the left side of the equation in question and present it as a product:

$x^2+6x+9 \\ \downarrow\\ (x+3)(x+3)$

In other words, we performed:

$x^2+bx+c \\ \downarrow\\ (x+m)(x+n)$

If so, we have factored the quadratic expression on the left side of the equation into factors using the quick trinomial method, and the equation is:

$x^2+6x+9=0 \\ \downarrow\\ (x+3)(x+3)=0\\ (x+3)^2=0\\$$$$$Where in the last stage we noticed that in the expression on the left side the term:

$(x+3)$

multiplies itself and therefore the expression can be written as a squared term:

$(x+3)^2$

Now that the expression on the left side has been factored into a product form (in this case not just a product but actually a power form) we will continue to quickly solve the equation we received:

$(x+3)^2=0$

Let's pay attention to a simple fact, on the left side there is a term raised to the second power, and on the right side the number 0,

and only 0 squared (to the second power) will give the result 0, so we get that the equation equivalent to this equation is the equation:

$x+3=0$(In the same way we could have operated algebraically in a pure form and taken the square root of both sides of the equation, we'll discuss this in a note at the end)

We'll solve this equation by moving the free number to the other side and we'll get that the only solution is:

$x=-3$Let's summarize then the stages of solving the quadratic equation using the quick trinomial factoring method, we got that:

$x^2+6x+9=0 \\ \downarrow\\ (x+3)(x+3)=0\\ (x+3)^2=0\\ \downarrow\\ x+3=0\\ x=-3$Therefore, the correct answer is answer C.

Note:

We could have reached the final equation by taking the square root of both sides of the equation, however - taking a square root involves considering two possibilities: positive and negative (it's enough to consider this only on one side, as described in the calculation below), that is, we could have performed:

$(x+3)^2=0\hspace{8pt}\text{/}\sqrt{\hspace{8pt}}\\ \downarrow\\ \sqrt{(x+3)^2}=\pm\sqrt{0} \\ x+3=\pm0\\ x+3=0$Where on the left side the root (which is a half power) and the second power canceled each other out (this follows from the law of powers for power over power), and on the right side the root of 0 is 0, and we considered two possibilities positive and negative (this is the plus-minus sign indicated) except that the sign (which is actually multiplication by one or minus one) does not affect 0 which remains 0 in both cases, and therefore we reached the same equation we reached with logical and unambiguous thinking earlier - in the solution above,

In any other case where on the right side was a number different from 0, we could have solved only by taking the root etc. and considering the two positive and negative possibilities which would then give two different possibilities for the solution.

Let's observe that the given equation:

$x^2-3x-18=0$is a quadratic equation that can be solved using quick factoring:

$x^2-3x-18=0 \longleftrightarrow\begin{cases}\underline{?}\cdot\underline{?}=-18\\ \underline{?}+\underline{?}=-3\end{cases}\\ \downarrow\\ (x-6)(x+3)=0$and therefore we get two simpler equations from which we can extract the solution:

$(x-6)(x+3)=0 \\ \downarrow\\ x-6=0\rightarrow\boxed{x=6}\\ x+3=0\rightarrow\boxed{x=-3}\\ \boxed{x=6,-3}$Therefore, the correct answer is answer A.

Let's observe that the given equation:

$x^2+10x+16=0$is a quadratic equation that can be solved using quick factoring:

$x^2+10x+16=0 \longleftrightarrow\begin{cases}\underline{?}\cdot\underline{?}=16\\ \underline{?}+\underline{?}=10\end{cases}\\ \downarrow\\ (x+2)(x+8)=0$and therefore we get two simpler equations from which we can extract the solution:

$(x+2)(x+8)=0 \\ \downarrow\\ x+2=0\rightarrow\boxed{x=-2}\\ x+8=0\rightarrow\boxed{x=-8}\\ \boxed{x=-2,-8}$Therefore, the correct answer is answer B.

Let's observe that the given equation:

$x^2-3x-18=0$is a quadratic equation that can be solved using quick factoring:

$x^2-3x-18=0 \longleftrightarrow\begin{cases}\underline{?}\cdot\underline{?}=-18\\ \underline{?}+\underline{?}=-3\end{cases}\\ \downarrow\\ (x-6)(x+3)=0$and therefore we get two simpler equations from which we can extract the solution:

$(x-6)(x+3)=0 \\ \downarrow\\ x-6=0\rightarrow\boxed{x=6}\\ x+3=0\rightarrow\boxed{x=-3}\\ \boxed{x=6,-3}$Therefore, the correct answer is answer A.

Let's observe that the given equation:

$x^2+10x-24=0$is a quadratic equation that can be solved using quick factoring:

$x^2+10x-24=0 \longleftrightarrow\begin{cases}\underline{?}\cdot\underline{?}=-24\\ \underline{?}+\underline{?}=10\end{cases}\\ \downarrow\\ (x+12)(x-2)=0$and therefore we get two simpler equations from which we can extract the solution:

$(x+12)(x-2)=0 \\ \downarrow\\ x+12=0\rightarrow\boxed{x=-12}\\ x-2=0\rightarrow\boxed{x=2}\\ \boxed{x=-12,2}$Therefore, the correct answer is answer B.

Let's observe that the given equation:

$x^2-19x+60=0$is a quadratic equation that can be solved using quick factoring:

$x^2-19x+60=0 \longleftrightarrow\begin{cases}\underline{?}\cdot\underline{?}=60\\ \underline{?}+\underline{?}=-19\end{cases}\\ \downarrow\\ (x-4)(x-15)=0$and therefore we get two simpler equations from which we can extract the solution:

$(x-4)(x-15)=0 \\ \downarrow\\ x-4=0\rightarrow\boxed{x=4}\\ x-15=0\rightarrow\boxed{x=15}\\ \boxed{x=4,15}$Therefore, the correct answer is answer A.

Let's observe that the given equation:

$x^2-7x+12=0$is a quadratic equation that can be solved using quick factoring:

$x^2-7x+12=0 \longleftrightarrow\begin{cases}\underline{?}\cdot\underline{?}=12\\ \underline{?}+\underline{?}=-7\end{cases}\\ \downarrow\\ (x-3)(x-4)=0$and therefore we get two simpler equations from which we can extract the solution:

$(x-3)(x-4)=0 \\ \downarrow\\ x-3=0\rightarrow\boxed{x=3}\\ x-4=0\rightarrow\boxed{x=4}\\ \boxed{x=3,4}$Therefore, the correct answer is answer A.

Let's solve the given equation:

$x^2+6x+9=0$We can identify that the expression on the left side can be factored using the perfect square trinomial formula:

$(a\pm b)^2=a^2\pm2ab+b^2$Let's do this:

$x^2+6x+9=0 \\ x^2\textcolor{blue}{+6x}+3^2=0 \\ x^2\textcolor{blue}{+2\cdot x\cdot3}+3^2=0 \\ \downarrow\\ (x+3)^2=0$We emphasize that factoring using the mentioned formula was possible only because the middle term in the expression (which is in first power in this case and highlighted in blue in the previous calculation) indeed matched the middle term in the perfect square trinomial formula,

We'll continue and solve the resulting equation, which we'll do using square root extraction on both sides:

$(x+3)^2=0 \hspace{6pt}\text{/}\sqrt{\hspace{4pt}}\\ x+3=0\\ \boxed{x=-3}$Therefore, the correct answer is answer B.

Let's observe that the given equation:

$x^2-2x-3=0$is a quadratic equation that can be solved using quick factoring:

$x^2-2x-3=0 \longleftrightarrow\begin{cases}\underline{?}\cdot\underline{?}=-3\\ \underline{?}+\underline{?}=-2\end{cases}\\ \downarrow\\ (x-3)(x+1)=0$and therefore we get two simpler equations from which we can extract the solution:

$(x-3)(x+1)=0 \\ \downarrow\\ x-3=0\rightarrow\boxed{x=3}\\ x+1=0\rightarrow\boxed{x=-1}\\ \boxed{x=-1,3}$Therefore, the correct answer is answer B.

Let's observe that the given equation:

$x^2+9x+20=0$is a quadratic equation that can be solved using quick factoring:

$x^2+9x+20=0 \longleftrightarrow\begin{cases}\underline{?}\cdot\underline{?}=20\\ \underline{?}+\underline{?}=9\end{cases}\\ \downarrow\\ (x+5)(x+4)=0$and therefore we get two simpler equations from which we can extract the solution:

$(x+5)(x+4)=0 \\ \downarrow\\ x+5=0\rightarrow\boxed{x=-5}\\ x+4=0\rightarrow\boxed{x=-4}\\ \boxed{x=-4,-5}$Therefore, the correct answer is answer A.

Let's solve the given equation:

$x^2-8x+16=0$We identify that we can factor the expression on the left side using the perfect square trinomial formula:

$(a\pm b)^2=a^2\pm2ab+b^2$Let's do this:

$x^2-8x+16=0 \\ x^2\textcolor{blue}{-8x}+4^2=0 \\ x^2\textcolor{blue}{-2\cdot x\cdot4}+4^2=0 \\ \downarrow\\ (x-4)^2=0$Note that factoring using this formula was only possible because the middle term in the expression (which is in first power in this case and highlighted in blue in the previous calculation) indeed matched the middle term in the perfect square trinomial formula,

We'll continue and solve the resulting equation by taking the square root of both sides:

$(x-4)^2=0 \hspace{6pt}\text{/}\sqrt{\hspace{4pt}}\\ x-4=0\\ \boxed{x=4}$Therefore, the correct answer is answer C.

Let's observe that the given equation:

$x^2-5x-50=0$is a quadratic equation that can be solved using quick factoring:

$x^2-5x-50=0 \longleftrightarrow\begin{cases}\underline{?}\cdot\underline{?}=-50\\ \underline{?}+\underline{?}=-5\end{cases}\\ \downarrow\\ (x-10)(x+5)=0$and therefore we get two simpler equations from which we can extract the solution:

$(x-10)(x+5)=0 \\ \downarrow\\ x-10=0\rightarrow\boxed{x=10}\\ x+5=0\rightarrow\boxed{x=-5}\\ \boxed{x=10,-5}$Therefore, the correct answer is answer C.

Let's solve the given equation:

$x^2-1=0$ We will do this simply by isolating the unknown on one side and taking the square root of both sides:

$x^2-1=0 \\ x^2=1\hspace{6pt}\text{/}\sqrt{\hspace{4pt}}\\ \boxed{x=\pm1}$

Therefore, the correct answer is answer A.

Let's simplify the expression given in the left side:

$(x+3)(x+\textcolor{purple}{\boxed{?}})$ For ease of calculation we will replace the square with the question mark (indicating the missing part that needs to be completed) with the letter $\textcolor{purple}{k}$, meaning we will perform the substitution:

$$$(x+3)(x+\textcolor{purple}{\boxed{?}})=x^2+5x+6 \\ \downarrow\\ (x+3)(x+\textcolor{purple}{k})=x^2+5x+6 \\$Next, we will expand the parentheses using the expanded distribution law:

$(\textcolor{red}{a}+\textcolor{blue}{b})(c+d)=\textcolor{red}{a}c+\textcolor{red}{a}d+\textcolor{blue}{b}c+\textcolor{blue}{b}d$Let's note that in the formula template for the distribution law mentioned we assume by default that the operation between the terms inside the parentheses is addition, so we won't forget of course that the sign preceding the term is an integral part of it, and we will also apply the laws of sign multiplication and thus we can represent any expression in parentheses, which we expand using the aforementioned formula, first, as an expression where addition is performed between all terms (if necessary),

Therefore, we will first represent each of the expressions in parentheses in the multiplication on the left side as an expression where addition exists:

$(x+3)(x+\textcolor{purple}{k})=x^2+5x+6 \\ \downarrow\\ \big(x+(+3)\big)\big(x+(\textcolor{purple}{+k})\big)=x^2+5x+6 \\$Now for convenience, let's write down again the expanded distribution law mentioned earlier:

$(\textcolor{red}{a}+\textcolor{blue}{b})(c+d)=\textcolor{red}{a}c+\textcolor{red}{a}d+\textcolor{blue}{b}c+\textcolor{blue}{b}d$And we'll apply it to our problem:

$\big (\textcolor{red}{x}+\textcolor{blue}{(+3)}\big)\big(x+(+\textcolor{purple}{k})\big)=x^2+5x+6 \\ \downarrow\\ \textcolor{red}{x}\cdot x +\textcolor{red}{x}\cdot (+\textcolor{purple}{k})+\textcolor{blue}{(+3)}\cdot x +\textcolor{blue}{(+3)}\cdot (+\textcolor{purple}{k})=x^2+5x+6 \\$We'll continue and apply the laws of multiplication signs, remembering that multiplying expressions with identical signs will yield a positive result, and multiplying expressions with different signs will yield a negative result:

$\textcolor{red}{x}\cdot x +\textcolor{red}{x}\cdot (+\textcolor{purple}{k})+\textcolor{blue}{(+3)}\cdot x +\textcolor{blue}{(+3)}\cdot (+\textcolor{purple}{k})=x^2+5x+6 \\ \downarrow\\ x^2+\textcolor{purple}{k}x+3x+3\textcolor{purple}{k}=x^2+5x+6 \\$Now, we want to present the expression on the left side in a form identical to the expression on the right side, that is - as a sum of three terms with different exponents: second power (squared), first power, and zero power (i.e., the free number - not dependent on x). To do this - we will factor out the part of the expression on the left side where the terms are in the first power:

$x^2+\underline{\textcolor{purple}{k}x+3x}+3\textcolor{purple}{k}=x^2+5x+6 \\ \downarrow\\ x^2+\underline{(\textcolor{purple}{k}+3)x}+3\textcolor{purple}{k}=x^2+5x+6$

Now in order for equality to hold - we require that the coefficient of the first-power term on both sides of the equation be identical and at the same time - we require that the free term on both sides of the equation be identical as well:

$x^2+\underline{\underline{(\textcolor{purple}{k}+3)}}x+\underline{\underline{\underline{3\textcolor{purple}{k}}}}=x^2+\underline{\underline{5}}x+\underline{\underline{\underline{6}}}$In other words, we require that:

$\begin{cases} \textcolor{purple}{k}+3=5\rightarrow\boxed{\textcolor{purple}{k}=2}\\ 3\textcolor{purple}{k}=6\rightarrow\boxed{\textcolor{purple}{k}=2} \end{cases}$

Let's summarize the solution steps:

$(x+3)(x+\textcolor{purple}{\boxed{?}})=x^2+5x+6 \leftrightarrow\textcolor{red}{\boxed{\textcolor{purple}{\boxed{?}}=\textcolor{purple}{k}}} \\ \downarrow\\ (x+3)(x+\textcolor{purple}{k})=x^2+5x+6 \\ \downarrow\\ x^2+\underline{\textcolor{purple}{k}x+3x}+3\textcolor{purple}{k}=x^2+5x+6 \\ \downarrow\\ x^2+\underline{(\textcolor{purple}{k}+3)x}+3\textcolor{purple}{k}=x^2+5x+6\\ \downarrow\\ x^2+\underline{\underline{(\textcolor{purple}{k}+3)}}x+\underline{\underline{\underline{3\textcolor{purple}{k}}}}=x^2+\underline{\underline{5}}x+\underline{\underline{\underline{6}}} \\ \begin{cases} \textcolor{purple}{k}+3=5\rightarrow\boxed{\textcolor{purple}{k}=2}\\ 3\textcolor{purple}{k}=6\rightarrow\boxed{\textcolor{purple}{k}=2} \end{cases} \\ \textcolor{red}{\bm{\rightarrow}\boxed{\textcolor{purple}{\boxed{?}}=\textcolor{purple}{2}}}$Therefore, the missing expression is the number $2$meaning - the correct answer is a'.

Let's observe that the given equation:

$x^2+10x+9=0$is a quadratic equation that can be solved using quick factoring:

$x^2+10x+9=0 \longleftrightarrow\begin{cases}\underline{?}\cdot\underline{?}=9\\ \underline{?}+\underline{?}=10\end{cases}\\ \downarrow\\ (x+1)(x+9)=0$and therefore we get two simpler equations from which we can extract the solution:

$(x+1)(x+9)=0\\ \downarrow\\ x+1=0\rightarrow\boxed{x=-1}\\ x+9=0\rightarrow\boxed{x=-9}\\ \boxed{x=-1,-9}$and therefore the given equation has two solutions,

Thus, the correct answer is answer B.