document.write( "Question 202331: Today was my first day of intermediate algebra. Our first assignment is factoring polynomials. I am lost and my professor didn't explain much. $\"10a%5E2-640\"$ ? :) Please help. \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #152564 by Earlsdon(6294) $\"\"$ $\"About$

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Factor:
\n" ); document.write( " $\"10a%5E2-640\"$ Notice that each term is a multiple of 10, so you can first factor 10.
\n" ); document.write( " $\"10%28a%5E2-64%29\"$ Now the binomial (in the parentheses) is the difference of two squares. $\"%28a%29%5E2-%288%29%5E2\"$ and the difference of two squares can be factored thus:
\n" ); document.write( " $\"A%5E2-B%5E2+=+%28A%2BB%29%28A-B%29\"$ , so apply this concept to the binomial to complete the factoring of the given expression.
\n" ); document.write( " $\"highlight%2810a%5E2-640+=+10%28a%2B8%29%28a-8%29%29\"$
\n" ); document.write( "To check the solution, you need only multiply the three factors to see that you will arrive at the given expression.
\n" ); document.write( " $\"10%2A%28a%2B8%29%28a-8%29+=+10%2A%28a%5E2-8a%2B8a-64%29\"$ which simplifies to:
\n" ); document.write( " $\"10%28a%5E2-64%29+=+10a%5E2-640\"$ \n" ); document.write( "

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