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In factoring trinomials, such as you have, the idea is to get two binomials, which, when multiplied together, will give you back the trinomial you started with. Let's look at your trinomial expression (by the way, it's not an equation).\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "You would like to get two binomials of the form: (x + b)(x - c)\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Look at the x^2 term of you trinomial. The only factors of x^2 are (x)(x) or (-x)(-x).\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Now look at the last (constant) term (-14) of your trinomial. The factors of -14 are (-1)(14), (1)(-14), (-2)(7) or (2)(-7) Now, which combination of these would give you +5 when added together? Clearly, only (-2) + (7) = +5\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Now we can try to put things together from the above analysis.\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "(x - 2)(x + 7) is a good possibility for the factors of
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Check by multiplying the two factors using the FOIL method.\r
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