Question 35566: Factor completely
16x^2 - 2x - 3
Answer by rapaljer(4671)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! NOTE: I have a whole lesson plan for these, which I call Advanced Trinomials, that may or may not be in algebra.com. If it is not, then go to MY own website, look for "Basic Algebra", the "Samples of Basic Algebra: One Step at a Time", then Chapter 2, and then look for Advanced Trinomials.
This factoring is harder than most, since it starts off with a 16x^2. There are several possibilities for this:
(8x ____)(2x ____)
(4x ____)(4x ____)
(16x ____)(x ____)
Pick one that looks good and try to find factors for the last times last (that is factors of 3) that will make it work. About the only way to do 3 is to have 3 times 1 or 1 times 3 for the Last times Last.
(8x ____)(2x _____)
Try putting 3 in the first blank, and 1 in the second blank.
(8x__3)(2x ___1)
The middle terms must subtract to give you -2x. It works with the + sign in the first factor with the 3 and the - sign in the second factor with the 1.
(8x + 3)(2x - 1).
You can check it by FOILing it out. It does check.
R^2 at SCC
|
|
|
