2023/2024 ASVAB For Dummies (+ 7 Practice Tests, Flashcards, & Videos Online)
Explore Book Buy On Amazon- Find the greatest common factor — the highest number that evenly divides all the terms in the expression. Look at both the constants (numbers) and variables. In this case, the highest number that divides into 4 and 2 is 2. And the highest variable that divides into both xy and x2 is x. Take what you know to this point, and you can see that the greatest common factor is 2x.
- Divide both terms in the expression by the greatest common factor. When you divide 4xy and 2x2 by 2x, the resulting terms are 2y + x.
- Multiply the entire expression (from Step 2) by the greatest common factor (from Step 1) to set the expression equal to its original value. Doing so produces 2x(2y + x).
- Find the factors of the first term of the trinomial. The factors of the first term, x2, are x and x. Put those factors (x and x) on the left side of two sets of parentheses: (x)(x).
- Determine whether the parentheses will contain positive or negative signs. You can see that the last term in the trinomial (+20) has a plus sign. That means the signs in the parentheses must be either both plus signs or both minus signs. (Why? Because two positive numbers multiplied equals a positive number, and two negative numbers multiplied equals a positive number, but a negative number times a positive number equals a negative number.) Because the second term (–12x) is a negative number, both of the factors must be negative: (x – 0)(x – 0).
- Find the two numbers that go into the right sides of the parentheses. This part can be tricky. The factors of the third term, when added together or subtracted, must equal the second term of the trinomial.
Thus, the factors of x2 – 12x + 20 are (x – 2) and (x – 10).