document.write( "Question 214986: I need help with sloving quadractic equations by factoring:
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Algebra.Com's Answer #162443 by jim_thompson5910(35256)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
First, we need to factor \"-2x%5E2%2B13x%2B7\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"-2x%5E2%2B13x%2B7\" Start with the given expression.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"-%282x%5E2-13x-7%29\" Factor out the GCF \"-1\".\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Now let's try to factor the inner expression \"2x%5E2-13x-7\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Looking at the expression \"2x%5E2-13x-7\", we can see that the first coefficient is \"2\", the second coefficient is \"-13\", and the last term is \"-7\".\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Now multiply the first coefficient \"2\" by the last term \"-7\" to get \"%282%29%28-7%29=-14\".\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Now the question is: what two whole numbers multiply to \"-14\" (the previous product) and add to the second coefficient \"-13\"?\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "To find these two numbers, we need to list all of the factors of \"-14\" (the previous product).\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Factors of \"-14\":\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "-1,-2,-7,-14\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Note: list the negative of each factor. This will allow us to find all possible combinations.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "These factors pair up and multiply to \"-14\".\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "1*(-14) = -14
\n" ); document.write( "2*(-7) = -14
\n" ); document.write( "(-1)*(14) = -14
\n" ); document.write( "(-2)*(7) = -14\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Now let's add up each pair of factors to see if one pair adds to the middle coefficient \"-13\":\r
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First NumberSecond NumberSum
1-141+(-14)=-13
2-72+(-7)=-5
-114-1+14=13
-27-2+7=5
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "From the table, we can see that the two numbers \"1\" and \"-14\" add to \"-13\" (the middle coefficient).\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So the two numbers \"1\" and \"-14\" both multiply to \"-14\" and add to \"-13\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Now replace the middle term \"-13x\" with \"x-14x\". Remember, \"1\" and \"-14\" add to \"-13\". So this shows us that \"x-14x=-13x\".\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"2x%5E2%2Bhighlight%28x-14x%29-7\" Replace the second term \"-13x\" with \"x-14x\".\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"%282x%5E2%2Bx%29%2B%28-14x-7%29\" Group the terms into two pairs.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%282x%2B1%29%2B%28-14x-7%29\" Factor out the GCF \"x\" from the first group.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%282x%2B1%29-7%282x%2B1%29\" Factor out \"7\" from the second group. The goal of this step is to make the terms in the second parenthesis equal to the terms in the first parenthesis.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"%28x-7%29%282x%2B1%29\" Combine like terms. Or factor out the common term \"2x%2B1\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So \"-1%282x%5E2-13x-7%29\" then factors further to \"-%28x-7%29%282x%2B1%29\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So \"-2x%5E2%2B13x%2B7\" completely factors to \"-%28x-7%29%282x%2B1%29\".\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "In other words, \"-2x%5E2%2B13x%2B7=-%28x-7%29%282x%2B1%29\".\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Now let's use the factorization above to solve \"-2x%5E2%2B13x%2B7=0\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"-2x%5E2%2B13x%2B7=0\" Start with the given equation\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"-%28x-7%29%282x%2B1%29=0\" Factor the left side (see above)\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Now set each factor equal to zero:\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x-7=0\" or \"2x%2B1=0\" \r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x=7\" or \"x=-1%2F2\" Now solve for x in each case\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Answer:\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So the solutions are \"x=7\" or \"x=-1%2F2\"
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