document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=235807>Question 235807</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> can someone help me pls\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "factor<BR>\n" );
document.write( "x^3-4x^2-5x+20 </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #173610 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Theo><B>Theo(13342)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Theo><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=Theo><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=173610\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Your equation is:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "x^3-4x^2-5x+20\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "divide this equation by (x-4) to get:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "(x-4) * (x^2-5)\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "This factors out to:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "(x-4) * (x-sqrt(5)) * (x+sqrt(5))\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "I confirmed it's accurate by replacing x with 5 in both the original equation and the factored equation to get the same answer.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "You can also multiply the factors out again to get back to the original equation.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "I figured (x-4) might divide into the original equation because -4 * x^2 = -4x^2 which would subtract nicely from -4x^2 in the original equation, and becausse -4 * -5 = 20 which would subtract nicely from 20 at the end of the equation.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Not totally scientific but it worked.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "x goes into x^3 by a factor of x^2\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "(x-4) * x^2 = x^3 - 4x^2 which subtracts from x^3 - 4x^2 without a remainder.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "The division is left with (x-4) into (-5x + 20) which comes out very clean with a factor of -5.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "-5 * (x-4) = -5x + 20 which subtracts very nicely from -5x + 20 to leave a remainder of 0.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "My answer by dividing the original equation by (x-4) became (x-4) * (x^2 - 5) which led to the final solution.\r<BR>\n" );
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