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| Question 143547:  Directions are to factor each polynomial. If the polynomial cannot be factored using integers, write prime.
 36m^2+60mn+25n^2
 Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256)
      (Show Source): 
You can put this solution on YOUR website! Looking at
  we can see that the first term is  and the last term is  where the coefficients are 36 and 25 respectively. 
 Now multiply the first coefficient 36 and the last coefficient 25 to get 900. Now what two numbers multiply to 900 and add to the  middle coefficient 60? Let's list all of the factors of 900:
 
 
 
 Factors of 900:
 1,2,3,4,5,6,9,10,12,15,18,20,25,30,36,45,50,60,75,90,100,150,180,225,300,450
 
 -1,-2,-3,-4,-5,-6,-9,-10,-12,-15,-18,-20,-25,-30,-36,-45,-50,-60,-75,-90,-100,-150,-180,-225,-300,-450 ...List the negative factors as well. This will allow us to find all possible combinations
 
 These factors pair up and multiply to 900
 1*900
 2*450
 3*300
 4*225
 5*180
 6*150
 9*100
 10*90
 12*75
 15*60
 18*50
 20*45
 25*36
 30*30
 (-1)*(-900)
 (-2)*(-450)
 (-3)*(-300)
 (-4)*(-225)
 (-5)*(-180)
 (-6)*(-150)
 (-9)*(-100)
 (-10)*(-90)
 (-12)*(-75)
 (-15)*(-60)
 (-18)*(-50)
 (-20)*(-45)
 (-25)*(-36)
 (-30)*(-30)
 
 note: remember two negative numbers multiplied together make a positive number
 
 
 Now which of these pairs add to 60? Lets make a table of all of the pairs of factors we multiplied and see which two numbers add to 60
 
 
 
| First Number | Second Number | Sum | | 1 | 900 | 1+900=901 |  | 2 | 450 | 2+450=452 |  | 3 | 300 | 3+300=303 |  | 4 | 225 | 4+225=229 |  | 5 | 180 | 5+180=185 |  | 6 | 150 | 6+150=156 |  | 9 | 100 | 9+100=109 |  | 10 | 90 | 10+90=100 |  | 12 | 75 | 12+75=87 |  | 15 | 60 | 15+60=75 |  | 18 | 50 | 18+50=68 |  | 20 | 45 | 20+45=65 |  | 25 | 36 | 25+36=61 |  | 30 | 30 | 30+30=60 |  | -1 | -900 | -1+(-900)=-901 |  | -2 | -450 | -2+(-450)=-452 |  | -3 | -300 | -3+(-300)=-303 |  | -4 | -225 | -4+(-225)=-229 |  | -5 | -180 | -5+(-180)=-185 |  | -6 | -150 | -6+(-150)=-156 |  | -9 | -100 | -9+(-100)=-109 |  | -10 | -90 | -10+(-90)=-100 |  | -12 | -75 | -12+(-75)=-87 |  | -15 | -60 | -15+(-60)=-75 |  | -18 | -50 | -18+(-50)=-68 |  | -20 | -45 | -20+(-45)=-65 |  | -25 | -36 | -25+(-36)=-61 |  | -30 | -30 | -30+(-30)=-60 |  
 
 From this list we can see that 30 and 30 add up to 60 and multiply to 900
 
 
 Now looking at the expression
  , replace  with  (notice  adds up to  . So it is equivalent to  ) 
 
   
 
 Now let's factor
  by grouping: 
 
 
  Group like terms 
 
 
  Factor out the GCF of  out of the first group. Factor out the GCF of  out of the second group 
 
 
  Since we have a common term of  , we can combine like terms 
 So
  factors to   
 
 So this also means that
  factors to  (since  is equivalent to  ) 
 
 note:
  is equivalent to  since the term  occurs twice. So  also factors to   
 
 
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 Answer:
 So
  factors to  
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