document.write( "Question 537823: My question is about factoring. If factoring is not considered an operation on exponents, sorry. There is no category for factoring. But I have a quiz tomorrow on factoring when either square is a square of a polynomial. \r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "This is the example in my textbook: \"+25a%5E2-%283a%2B2b%29%5E2+\" . Somehow that's supposed to come out to 4(4a+b)(a-b) . I'm a little confused, the book doesn't explain it very well, and I would greatly appreciate your help. Thank you.
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Algebra.Com's Answer #353018 by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
\"+25a%5E2-%283a%2B2b%29%5E2+\"
\n" ); document.write( "FOIL (3a+2b)(3a+2b) to 9a^2 + 12ab + 4b^2, then you have
\n" ); document.write( "\"+25a%5E2-%289a%5E2+%2B+12ab+%2B+4b%5E2%29+\"
\n" ); document.write( "Remove the brackets, this changes the signs
\n" ); document.write( "\"+25a%5E2+-+9a%5E2+-+12ab+-+4b%5E2%29+\"
\n" ); document.write( "Combine the like terms
\n" ); document.write( "\"+16a%5E2+-+12ab+-+4b%5E2%29+\"
\n" ); document.write( "Factor out 4
\n" ); document.write( "\"+4%284a%5E2+-+3ab+-+b%5E2%29+\"
\n" ); document.write( "Factor again
\n" ); document.write( "\"+4%284a%2Bb%29%28a-b%29+\"
\n" ); document.write( ":
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