SOLUTION: Please help I am getting confused. Factor completely: x^3-3x^2y-10xy

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Question 164438: Please help I am getting confused.
Factor completely:
x^3-3x^2y-10xy

Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Are you sure that the expression is not x%5E3-3x%5E2y-10xy%5E2???



x%5E3-3x%5E2y-10xy%5E2 Start with the given expression


x%28x%5E2-3xy-10y%5E2%29 Factor out the GCF x


Now let's focus on the inner expression x%5E2-3xy-10y%5E2




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Looking at 1x%5E2-3xy-10y%5E2 we can see that the first term is 1x%5E2 and the last term is -10y%5E2 where the coefficients are 1 and -10 respectively.

Now multiply the first coefficient 1 and the last coefficient -10 to get -10. Now what two numbers multiply to -10 and add to the middle coefficient -3? Let's list all of the factors of -10:



Factors of -10:
1,2,5,10

-1,-2,-5,-10 ...List the negative factors as well. This will allow us to find all possible combinations

These factors pair up and multiply to -10
(1)*(-10)
(2)*(-5)
(-1)*(10)
(-2)*(5)

note: remember, the product of a negative and a positive number is a negative number


Now which of these pairs add to -3? Lets make a table of all of the pairs of factors we multiplied and see which two numbers add to -3

First NumberSecond NumberSum
1-101+(-10)=-9
2-52+(-5)=-3
-110-1+10=9
-25-2+5=3



From this list we can see that 2 and -5 add up to -3 and multiply to -10


Now looking at the expression 1x%5E2-3xy-10y%5E2, replace -3xy with 2xy%2B-5xy (notice 2xy%2B-5xy adds up to -3xy. So it is equivalent to -3xy)

1x%5E2%2Bhighlight%282xy%2B-5xy%29%2B-10y%5E2


Now let's factor 1x%5E2%2B2xy-5xy-10y%5E2 by grouping:


%281x%5E2%2B2xy%29%2B%28-5xy-10y%5E2%29 Group like terms


x%28x%2B2y%29-5y%28x%2B2y%29 Factor out the GCF of x out of the first group. Factor out the GCF of -5y out of the second group


%28x-5y%29%28x%2B2y%29 Since we have a common term of x%2B2y, we can combine like terms

So 1x%5E2%2B2xy-5xy-10y%5E2 factors to %28x-5y%29%28x%2B2y%29


So this also means that 1x%5E2-3xy-10y%5E2 factors to %28x-5y%29%28x%2B2y%29 (since 1x%5E2-3xy-10y%5E2 is equivalent to 1x%5E2%2B2xy-5xy-10y%5E2)



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So our expression goes from x%28x%5E2-3xy-10y%5E2%29 and factors further to x%28x-5y%29%28x%2B2y%29


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Answer:

So x%5E3-3x%5E2y-10xy%5E2 factors to x%28x-5y%29%28x%2B2y%29