Question 191478:  50x^3+95x^2+30x
 
Factor the trinomial completely 
 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 10 and 6 respectively.
 
 
Now multiply the first coefficient 10 and the last coefficient 6 to get 60. Now what two numbers multiply to 60 and add to the  middle coefficient 19? Let's list all of the factors of 60:
 
 
 
 
Factors of 60:
 
1,2,3,4,5,6,10,12,15,20,30,60
 
 
-1,-2,-3,-4,-5,-6,-10,-12,-15,-20,-30,-60 ...List the negative factors as well. This will allow us to find all possible combinations
 
 
These factors pair up and multiply to 60
 
1*60
 
2*30
 
3*20
 
4*15
 
5*12
 
6*10
 
(-1)*(-60)
 
(-2)*(-30)
 
(-3)*(-20)
 
(-4)*(-15)
 
(-5)*(-12)
 
(-6)*(-10)
 
 
note: remember two negative numbers multiplied together make a positive number
 
 
 
Now which of these pairs add to 19? Lets make a table of all of the pairs of factors we multiplied and see which two numbers add to 19
 
 
| First Number | Second Number | Sum | | 1 | 60 | 1+60=61 |  | 2 | 30 | 2+30=32 |  | 3 | 20 | 3+20=23 |  | 4 | 15 | 4+15=19 |  | 5 | 12 | 5+12=17 |  | 6 | 10 | 6+10=16 |  | -1 | -60 | -1+(-60)=-61 |  | -2 | -30 | -2+(-30)=-32 |  | -3 | -20 | -3+(-20)=-23 |  | -4 | -15 | -4+(-15)=-19 |  | -5 | -12 | -5+(-12)=-17 |  | -6 | -10 | -6+(-10)=-16 |  
 
 
 
 
From this list we can see that 4 and 15 add up to 19 and multiply to 60
 
 
 
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   completely factors to  
 
     
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