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| Question 187131:  please factor out polynomial.
 
 8x^3-14x^2-15x
 
 thanks
 Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256)
      (Show Source): 
You can put this solution on YOUR website! 
  Start with the given expression 
 
 
  Factor out the GCF   
 
 Now let's focus on the inner expression
   
 
 
 
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 Looking at
  we can see that the first term is  and the last term is  where the coefficients are 8 and -15 respectively. 
 Now multiply the first coefficient 8 and the last coefficient -15 to get -120. Now what two numbers multiply to -120 and add to the  middle coefficient -14? Let's list all of the factors of -120:
 
 
 
 Factors of -120:
 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,10,12,15,20,24,30,40,60,120
 
 -1,-2,-3,-4,-5,-6,-8,-10,-12,-15,-20,-24,-30,-40,-60,-120 ...List the negative factors as well. This will allow us to find all possible combinations
 
 These factors pair up and multiply to -120
 (1)*(-120)
 (2)*(-60)
 (3)*(-40)
 (4)*(-30)
 (5)*(-24)
 (6)*(-20)
 (8)*(-15)
 (10)*(-12)
 (-1)*(120)
 (-2)*(60)
 (-3)*(40)
 (-4)*(30)
 (-5)*(24)
 (-6)*(20)
 (-8)*(15)
 (-10)*(12)
 
 note: remember, the product of a negative and a positive number is a negative number
 
 
 Now which of these pairs add to -14? Lets make a table of all of the pairs of factors we multiplied and see which two numbers add to -14
 
 
 
| First Number | Second Number | Sum | | 1 | -120 | 1+(-120)=-119 |  | 2 | -60 | 2+(-60)=-58 |  | 3 | -40 | 3+(-40)=-37 |  | 4 | -30 | 4+(-30)=-26 |  | 5 | -24 | 5+(-24)=-19 |  | 6 | -20 | 6+(-20)=-14 |  | 8 | -15 | 8+(-15)=-7 |  | 10 | -12 | 10+(-12)=-2 |  | -1 | 120 | -1+120=119 |  | -2 | 60 | -2+60=58 |  | -3 | 40 | -3+40=37 |  | -4 | 30 | -4+30=26 |  | -5 | 24 | -5+24=19 |  | -6 | 20 | -6+20=14 |  | -8 | 15 | -8+15=7 |  | -10 | 12 | -10+12=2 |  
 
 From this list we can see that 6 and -20 add up to -14 and multiply to -120
 
 
 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  ) 
 
 
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 So our expression goes from
  and factors further to   
 
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 Answer:
 
 So
  factors to   
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