SOLUTION: Factoring Polynomials Finding Solutions 3t^2+11t-20=0

Question 171359: Factoring Polynomials
Finding Solutions
3t^2+11t-20=0
Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
First, we need to factor

Looking at we can see that the first term is and the last term is where the coefficients are 3 and -20 respectively.

Now multiply the first coefficient 3 and the last coefficient -20 to get -60. Now what two numbers multiply to -60 and add to the middle coefficient 11? Let's list all of the factors of -60:

Factors of -60:
1,2,3,4,5,6,10,12,15,20,30,60

-1,-2,-3,-4,-5,-6,-10,-12,-15,-20,-30,-60 ...List the negative factors as well. This will allow us to find all possible combinations

These factors pair up and multiply to -60
(1)*(-60)
(2)*(-30)
(3)*(-20)
(4)*(-15)
(5)*(-12)
(6)*(-10)
(-1)*(60)
(-2)*(30)
(-3)*(20)
(-4)*(15)
(-5)*(12)
(-6)*(10)

note: remember, the product of a negative and a positive number is a negative number

Now which of these pairs add to 11? Lets make a table of all of the pairs of factors we multiplied and see which two numbers add to 11

First Number	Second Number	Sum
1	-60	1+(-60)=-59
2	-30	2+(-30)=-28
3	-20	3+(-20)=-17
4	-15	4+(-15)=-11
5	-12	5+(-12)=-7
6	-10	6+(-10)=-4
-1	60	-1+60=59
-2	30	-2+30=28
-3	20	-3+20=17
-4	15	-4+15=11
-5	12	-5+12=7
-6	10	-6+10=4

From this list we can see that -4 and 15 add up to 11 and multiply to -60

Now looking at the expression , replace with (notice adds up to . So it is equivalent to )

Now let's factor by grouping:

Group like terms

Factor out the GCF of out of the first group. Factor out the GCF of out of the second group

Since we have a common term of , we can combine like terms

So factors to

So this also means that factors to (since is equivalent to )

So factors to

--------------------------------------------------------

So this means that is the same as

Start with the previous equation.

Now set each factor equal to zero:

or

or Now solve for t in each case

===========================================================

Answer:

So the solutions are

or
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