FACTORING COMPLETELY

1. Factor out the greatest common factor first.

GCF could be a constant, monomial, or binomial...

Ex: 5x2 + 10x = 5x (x + 2)

2. Look for a difference of squares.

Ex: a2 – b2 = (a + b)(a – b)

3. Look for a perfect square trinomial.

Ex: a2 + 2ab + b2 = (a + b)(a + b) = (a + b)2

a2 – 2ab + b2 = (a – b)(a – b) = (a – b)2

4. If a trinomial is not a square, look for a pair of binomial factors.

Ex: x2 – 11x –26 = (x – 13)(x + 2)

5. If a polynomial has four or more terms, look for a way to group the terms in pairs
or in a group of three terms that is a perfect square trinomial.

Ex: a2 + 4a + 4 – b2 = (a + 2)2 – b2 = (a + 2 + b)(a + 2 – b)

• If the polynomial cannot be factored using integers, it is called prime.

• Make sure that each binomial or trinomial factor is prime.

Ex: 5a3b2 + 3a4b – 2a2b3 = 3a4b + 5a3b2 − 2a2b3

= a2b (3a2 + 5ab – 2b2)
= a2b (3a – b)(a + 2b)

• Check your work by multiplying the factors.

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Class Exercises 1 - GCF: Factor the following expressions completely.

1) 7 x + 14 y

2) 3x - 6 x
2

3) a b + a b
4 2 2

4) 16 a - 12 a
3 2

5) 7 - 21m + 35n

6) 5 z t + 5 z t - 10 zt
3 2 2 4 2

7) 8rst - 4r s t + 24r st
3 2 2 3 4

8) 28a b + 7a b - 35a b
3 2 2 2 2 3

9) 12 x y z + 144x y + 60 xy z
3 2 2 2 3

10) (m + n) - 5 (m + n)

11) 6 (a + b) + b (a + b)

12) (a - b) + a (a - b) - b (a - b)

13) (a - b) (2a + 3b) + (a - b) (3a + b)

14) (2r + s) (2r - s) - (2r + s) (r - s)

15) a (b + c) (2b + c) + a (b + c)
2

16) 3a (5a + 2b) (3a - 5b) - 9a (5a + 2b) (4a - b)

2

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 HOMEWORK 1
Factor the following expressions completely.
1) 10a - 18b

2) 14 y + 18 y
2 3

3) x y - x y
3 2 2 3

4) 13 x + 39 x
3 2

5) 3a + 12b + 15

6) 2a b - 2a b + 4a b
3 2 3 2 4

7) m n - m n + 5m n
3 2 2 4 3

8) 3a b c + 6a b c - 9a b c
3 2 6 3 2 4 2 2

9) 4 xyz - 2 x y z - 10 x y z
2 2 3 3

10) 3 (r + s) + (r + s)

11) 5 (m - n) - m (m - n)

12) 3( x + y) + x( x + y) + y ( x + y)

13) (3x + 2 y ) ( x + 2 y) + (3x + 2 y) ( x - 2 y )

14) (2a + 1) (a + 3) - (2a + 1) (a - 3)

15) t (2r + s) (3r + 2s) - t (3r + 2s)

3 2

16) 6m (3n - 2m) (n + m) + 8m (3n - 2m) (n + m)

2

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Class Exercises 2 – Difference of squares: Factor the following expressions completely.

a 2 - b 2 = ( a + b) ( a - b )

1) x - 81 2) 9 x - 25
2 2

3) 9 - 49 y 4) 9r - 4t
2 2 2

5) 4 x y - 25 6) 144a - b
2 2 4 2

7) x y z - 4 8) 225a - 16b
2 2 2 6 2

9) 289x y - z 10) 9 - 169a b

6 2 2 2 2

11) (a - b) - c 12) r - ( p + q)
2 2 2 2

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 HOMEWORK 2

Factor the following expressions completely.

1) 64 - a 2 2) 16 x - 1
2

3) 100 - 9t 2 4) 4a 2 - b 2

5) x 2 y 2 - 9z 2 6) 256m 4 - 81n 2

7) 49 x - y z t 8) 400a 2 - 9b 2
2 2 2 4

9) x 6 y 4 - 64z 2 10) 16m - 25n r

2 2 2

11) ( x + y) 2 - z 2 12) z 2 - ( x - y ) 2

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 Class Exercises 3 – Perfect square trinomial: Factor the following expressions completely

a 2 + 2ab + b 2 = (a + b) 2
a 2 - 2ab + b 2 = (a - b) 2

1) x + 4 x + 4 2) a - 8a + 16
2 2

3) 25 x + 10 x + 1 4) 100x - 140x + 49
2 2

5) 16a - 24a + 9 6) x + 16 xy + 64 y
2 2 2

7) 49r - 70r + 25 8) 9r + 48r t + 64t

4 2 4 2 2

9) 225t + 30t + 1
10 5
10) 100x 4 y 2 - 180x 2 y + 81

11) ( p + q) 2 + 2 ( p + q) + 1 12) ( g - h) 2 - 2 ( g - h) + 1

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 HOMEWORK 3
Factor the following expressions completely.

1) x + 2 x + 1 2) b - 12b + 36
2 2

3) 4 y - 4 y + 1 4) 36 x + 60 x + 25
2 2

5) 49 z - 42 z + 9 6) 64r - 48rs + 9s
2 2 2

7) 81c + 36c + 4 8) 25a + 30a b + 9b

4 2 4 2 2

9) 64 x - 112x + 49 25a 4b 2 + 60a 2bc + 36c 2

8 4
10)

11) ( x - y) 2 + 2 ( x - y) + 1 12) (a + b) 2 - 2 (a + b) + 1

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 Class Exercises 4 – Grouping: Factor the following expressions completely

1) x + 3x - x - 3 2) 6a + 2a + 6ab + 2b
3 2 2

3) 3x + 4 - x - 12 x
3 2
4) 10ab + 2a - 5b - 1

5) 6mn - 9m - 4n + 6 6) 2 x y - 3 + 6 xy - x
2

7) 2a b - 12ab + 3a - 18
2
8) 8ab - 2b - 1 + 4a

9) a b - ab - a + b a 3 - a 2b - a + b
3 3 2 2
10)

11) x 2 - 2 xy + y 2 - z 2 12) x 2 - y 2 + 2 yz - z 2

13) x 2 - 4 x + 4 - 9a 2 14) 25 x 2 - y 2 - 6 y - 9

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 HOMEWORK 4
Factor the following expressions completely.
1) 4 y + 12 y - y - 3 2) 3ar - 6 yr + 9ak - 18 yk
3 2

3) 6 xy - 1 + 3x - 2 y 4) 6ab + 4a + 3b + 2

5) 6 xy - 3xy + 8 y - 4 6) 8x + 2 xy + 12 x + 3 y
2 2

7) 6ab - 8ab - 9b + 12 8) 4m n - 8mn - 3m + 6

2 2

9) x - x - 4 x + 4 bx 2 - 1 + b - x 2
3 2
10)

11) a 2 + 2ab + b 2 - 25 12) a 2 - b 2 + 2b - 1

13) 4a 2 + 12a + 9 - 25b 2 14) 16 x 2 - y 2 + 14 y - 49

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Class Exercises 5 – Binomial Factors: Factor the following expressions completely

When the coefficient of x2 is 1

1) x + 7 x + 10 2) x - 6 x + 5
2 2

3) x + 11x + 24 4) x + 6 x - 7
2 2

5) x + 4 x - 45 6) x - x - 30
2 2

7) x - 9 x - 36 8) x - 13 x + 40
2 2

9) x - x - 56 10) x + 2 x + 4
2 2

When the coefficient of x2 is not 1

1) 2 x 2 - 5x + 3 2) 4 x + 21x + 5
2

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3) 6 x 2 - 25 x - 9 4) 10 x - 3x - 27
2

5) 4x2 + 7 x - 2 6) 25 x + 55 x + 18
2

7) 2x2 - 7 x + 3 8) 35 x - 6 x - 7
2

HOMEWORK 5
Factor the following expressions completely.

1) x + 13 x + 40 2) x - 4 x + 4
2 2

3) x - 10 x + 24 4) x + x - 56
2 2

5) x + 3x - 18 6) x - x - 72
2 2

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7) x - 6 x - 27 8) x + 9 x + 8
2 2

9) x + 5 x - 36 10) x - 5 x + 25
2 2

11) 3x + 20 x - 7 12) 4 x - 11x - 45

2 2

13) 6 x + 11x + 3 14) 15 x - 38 x + 7

2 2

15) 3x - 13 x - 56 16) 49 x + 21x - 4

2 2

17) 3x + 4 x + 1 18) 8 x - 3x + 11
2 2

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