(x+3)2-9 One way to do it, until you learn a shorter way, is to first substitute a single letter, like A, for the part in parentheses, (x+3), and if you need to, you can write 9 as 32. Then it becomes A2-32 which factors as (A-3)(A+3) Now change the parentheses ( ) to brackets [ ] [A-3][A+3] Now put (x+3) in place of the A's [(x+3)-3][(x+3)+3] Now remove the ( ) inside [x+3-3][x+3+3] Combine like terms: [x][x+6] Erase the brackets around the x and change the brackets around the x+6 to parentheses: x(x+6) After you've done enough of these, you can shorten the process. Edwin