Question 117678: factor the following polynomials as completely as possible
(((x^3+8))) Found 2 solutions by stanbon, ankor@dixie-net.com:Answer by stanbon(75887) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
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You should recognize that 8 = 2^3, therefore this is the "sum of cubes"
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Somewhere in your algebra book there a section called something like
"Special factoring formulas"
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The sum of cubes is given as: a^3 + b^3 = (a + b)(a^2 - ab + b^2)
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In your problem a = x and b = 2
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x^3 + 8 = (x + 2)(x^2 - 2x + 4)
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It's a good idea to learn this section or at least know where to find them so you can recognize expression in this category
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