document.write( "Question 118297: How can you factor out, completely the problem 4t^2-12t+9-w^2? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #86412 by jim_thompson5910(35256)\"\" \"About 
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\"4t%5E2-12t%2B9-w%5E2\" Start with the given expression\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Let's focus on the polynomial \"4t%5E2-12t%2B9\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Looking at \"4t%5E2-12t%2B9\" we can see that the first term is \"4t%5E2\" and the last term is \"9\" where the coefficients are 4 and 9 respectively.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Now multiply the first coefficient 4 and the last coefficient 9 to get 36. Now what two numbers multiply to 36 and add to the middle coefficient -12? Let's list all of the factors of 36:\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Factors of 36:\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "-1,-2,-3,-4,-6,-9,-12,-18 ...List the negative factors as well. This will allow us to find all possible combinations\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "These factors pair up and multiply to 36\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "1*36\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "2*18\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "3*12\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "4*9\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "6*6\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "(-1)*(-36)\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "(-2)*(-18)\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "(-3)*(-12)\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "(-4)*(-9)\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "(-6)*(-6)\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "note: remember two negative numbers multiplied together make a positive number\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Now which of these pairs add to -12? Lets make a table of all of the pairs of factors we multiplied and see which two numbers add to -12\r
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First NumberSecond NumberSum
1361+36=37
2182+18=20
3123+12=15
494+9=13
666+6=12
-1-36-1+(-36)=-37
-2-18-2+(-18)=-20
-3-12-3+(-12)=-15
-4-9-4+(-9)=-13
-6-6-6+(-6)=-12
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "From this list we can see that -6 and -6 add up to -12 and multiply to 36\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Now looking at the expression \"4t%5E2-12t%2B9\", replace \"-12t\" with \"-6t%2B-6t\" (notice \"-6t%2B-6t\" adds up to \"-12t\". So it is equivalent to \"-12t\")\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"4t%5E2%2Bhighlight%28-6t%2B-6t%29%2B9\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Now let's factor \"4t%5E2-6t-6t%2B9\" by grouping:\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"%284t%5E2-6t%29%2B%28-6t%2B9%29\" Group like terms\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"2t%282t-3%29-3%282t-3%29\" Factor out the GCF of \"2t\" out of the first group. Factor out the GCF of \"-3\" out of the second group\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"%282t-3%29%282t-3%29\" Since we have a common term of \"2t-3\", we can combine like terms\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So \"4t%5E2-12t%2B9\" factors to \"%282t-3%29%282t-3%29\" which is \"%282t-3%29%5E2\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So \"4t%5E2-12t%2B9-w%5E2\" becomes \"%282t-3%29%5E2-w%5E2\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Notice how we have a difference of squares. This means we can use the difference of squares formula to factor further.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Let \"A=2t-3\" and \"B=w\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"A%5E2-B%5E2\" So we then get this\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"A%5E2-B%5E2=%28A%2BB%29%28A-B%29\" Now factor using the difference of squares\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"%282t-3%2Bw%29%282t-3-w%29\" Now replace A with \"2t-3\" and B with \"w\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Answer:\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So \"4t%5E2-12t%2B9-w%5E2\" completely factors to \"%282t-3%2Bw%29%282t-3-w%29\"
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