document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1015316>Question 1015316</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> State which method should be applied as the first step for factoring the polynomial 2a2 + 9a + 10.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Thank you for your help in solving this problem.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Daniel H. Jack </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #631686 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=631686\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> you probably want to set it equal to 0 to put it in standard form.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "it would then be 2a^2 + 9a + 10 = 0\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "you would then want to factor out the greatest common factor.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "since you can't, you would then try to see if you can factor it.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "the factoring method i would try to use is splitting the middle term method, for want of a better name.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "start with 2x^2 + 9x + 10 = 0\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "i replaced a with x because it's more of a standard equation that way.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "multiply the coefficient of the x^2 term by the constant term to get 2 * 10 = 20\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "find the possible factors of 20 that add up to 9.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "possible factors are 1*20, 2*10, 4*5 *****\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "4*5 is the one that you want because 4 + 5 = 9.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "now is where you split the middle term.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "9x = 4x + 5x, so the equation becomes:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "2x^2 + 5x + 4x + 10 = 0\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "now group the first 2 terms and factor out the greatest common factor from them to get:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "x * (2x + 5) + 4x + 10 = 0\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "now factor the second group of 2 terms so that one of those factors is (2x + 5).\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "you will get x * (2x + 5) + 2 * (2x + 5) = 0\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "now factor out the common term of (2x + 5) to get (x + 2) * (2x + 5) = 0\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "your factored equation will be (x+2) * (2x+5)= 0\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "you can confirm this is correct by distributing the multiplication to get (x+2) * (2x+5) = 2x^2 + 5x + 4x + 10 which = 2x^2 + 9x + 10 after you combine like terms.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "so you factored it correctly and your factored equation is y = (x+2) * (2x + 5).\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "if you want a tutorial on factoring, see the following:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<a  rel=nofollow HREF= \"http://www.purplemath.com/modules/solvquad.htm\" target = \"_blank\">http://www.purplemath.com/modules/solvquad.htm</a>\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "and the following:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<a  rel=nofollow HREF= \"http://www.purplemath.com/modules/factquad.htm\" target = \"_blank\">http://www.purplemath.com/modules/factquad.htm</a>\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "they're both good.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "try the second one first.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "if you still need to, then try the first.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the splitting the middle term method is similar to the box method without the box.\r<BR>\n" );
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