SOLUTION: Factor x^2+8xy+12y^2

Question 190285: Factor
x^2+8xy+12y^2
Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

Looking at we can see that the first term is and the last term is where the coefficients are 1 and 12 respectively.

Now multiply the first coefficient 1 and the last coefficient 12 to get 12. Now what two numbers multiply to 12 and add to the middle coefficient 8? Let's list all of the factors of 12:

Factors of 12:
1,2,3,4,6,12

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

These factors pair up and multiply to 12
1*12
2*6
3*4
(-1)*(-12)
(-2)*(-6)
(-3)*(-4)

note: remember two negative numbers multiplied together make a positive number

Now which of these pairs add to 8? Lets make a table of all of the pairs of factors we multiplied and see which two numbers add to 8

First Number	Second Number	Sum
1	12	1+12=13
2	6	2+6=8
3	4	3+4=7
-1	-12	-1+(-12)=-13
-2	-6	-2+(-6)=-8
-3	-4	-3+(-4)=-7

From this list we can see that 2 and 6 add up to 8 and multiply to 12

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 )

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Answer:
So factors to

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