SOLUTION: what are the stages to working out how to factorise 6x^2+13x+6. Do you have to work out the factors of 36 first?

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Question 658853: what are the stages to working out how to factorise 6x^2+13x+6. Do you have to work out the factors of 36 first?

Found 2 solutions by Shana-D77, MathLover1:
Answer by Shana-D77(132) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
6x^2+13x+6
My high school teachers told me to "guess and check" This method is a mess. Below is the method. Here's a video if the blow doesn't make sense: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPkgssssMZQ
Ax^2 + Bx + c
6x^2+13x+6
A = 6
B = 13
C = 6
AC = 36
Q: What numbers add to get B that multiply to get AC?
A: 4*9
Now rewrite with 9 and 4:
6x^2+13x+6
6x^2 + 4x + 9x + 6
Now parenthesize:
(6x^2 + 4x) + (9x + 6)
Mpw factor each ( ), leavig thet + in the middle:
2x(3x + 2) + 3(3x + 2)
The ( ) will always be the same. When in doubt, let your first ( ) lead the way to finding your second one.
Now, write the stuff on the outside of the ( ): "2x + 3":
(2x + 3)
Next to one of the inside ( ):
(3x + 2)
So you have:
(2x + 3)(3x + 2)

Answer by MathLover1(20850) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

Solved by pluggable solver: Factoring using the AC method (Factor by Grouping)


Looking at the expression 6x%5E2%2B13x%2B6, we can see that the first coefficient is 6, the second coefficient is 13, and the last term is 6.



Now multiply the first coefficient 6 by the last term 6 to get %286%29%286%29=36.



Now the question is: what two whole numbers multiply to 36 (the previous product) and add to the second coefficient 13?



To find these two numbers, we need to list all of the factors of 36 (the previous product).



Factors of 36:

1,2,3,4,6,9,12,18,36

-1,-2,-3,-4,-6,-9,-12,-18,-36



Note: list the negative of each factor. This will allow us to find all possible combinations.



These factors pair up and multiply to 36.

1*36 = 36
2*18 = 36
3*12 = 36
4*9 = 36
6*6 = 36
(-1)*(-36) = 36
(-2)*(-18) = 36
(-3)*(-12) = 36
(-4)*(-9) = 36
(-6)*(-6) = 36


Now let's add up each pair of factors to see if one pair adds to the middle coefficient 13:



First NumberSecond NumberSum
1361+36=37
2182+18=20
3123+12=15
494+9=13
666+6=12
-1-36-1+(-36)=-37
-2-18-2+(-18)=-20
-3-12-3+(-12)=-15
-4-9-4+(-9)=-13
-6-6-6+(-6)=-12




From the table, we can see that the two numbers 4 and 9 add to 13 (the middle coefficient).



So the two numbers 4 and 9 both multiply to 36 and add to 13



Now replace the middle term 13x with 4x%2B9x. Remember, 4 and 9 add to 13. So this shows us that 4x%2B9x=13x.



6x%5E2%2Bhighlight%284x%2B9x%29%2B6 Replace the second term 13x with 4x%2B9x.



%286x%5E2%2B4x%29%2B%289x%2B6%29 Group the terms into two pairs.



2x%283x%2B2%29%2B%289x%2B6%29 Factor out the GCF 2x from the first group.



2x%283x%2B2%29%2B3%283x%2B2%29 Factor out 3 from the second group. The goal of this step is to make the terms in the second parenthesis equal to the terms in the first parenthesis.



%282x%2B3%29%283x%2B2%29 Combine like terms. Or factor out the common term 3x%2B2



===============================================================



Answer:



So 6%2Ax%5E2%2B13%2Ax%2B6 factors to %282x%2B3%29%283x%2B2%29.



In other words, 6%2Ax%5E2%2B13%2Ax%2B6=%282x%2B3%29%283x%2B2%29.



Note: you can check the answer by expanding %282x%2B3%29%283x%2B2%29 to get 6%2Ax%5E2%2B13%2Ax%2B6 or by graphing the original expression and the answer (the two graphs should be identical).