document.write( "Question 117273: Factor completely. 15x^2 – 21x + 6 \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #85299 by bucky(2189)![]() ![]() ![]() You can put this solution on YOUR website! Given to factor: \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "Notice first that each of the numbers in the three terms is divisible by 3, so the factor 3 \n" ); document.write( "can be removed. This results in: \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "So now let's concentrate on factoring the terms inside the parentheses. Note that \n" ); document.write( "only be factored into \n" ); document.write( "factored, the factors will be of the form: \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "(5x ______)*(x _____) \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "Next notice that the last term in the trinomial is +2. It's factors can only be +2 and +1 or \n" ); document.write( "-2 and -1 because they must multiply together to give +2. Since the middle term of the \n" ); document.write( "trinomial is -7 we have to have minuses in the factors of the trinomial. So we assume that \n" ); document.write( "the factors of +2 that we will use are -2 and -1. This leaves two possibilities: \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "(5x - 1)*(x - 2) \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "or \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "(5x - 2)*(x - 1) \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "When you multiply out the (5x - 1)*(x - 2) you get \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "When you multiply out the (5x - 2)*(x - 1) you get \n" ); document.write( "to \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "So now we can say that the given: \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "factors to: \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "None of the expressions inside the parentheses can be factored, so this is the final answer. \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "Hope this helps to see how the given trinomial can be factored using a \"logical\" analysis and \n" ); document.write( "a little bit of trial. \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( " |