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Questions and Answers
What is the formula for the sum of cubes?
What is the formula for the sum of cubes?
What is the first step in factoring out the greatest common factor (GCF) of a polynomial?
What is the first step in factoring out the greatest common factor (GCF) of a polynomial?
What is the formula for the difference of squares?
What is the formula for the difference of squares?
What is the result of factoring out the GCF from the expression $6x^2 + 12x + 18$?
What is the result of factoring out the GCF from the expression $6x^2 + 12x + 18$?
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What is the result of factoring the expression $x^2 - 9$?
What is the result of factoring the expression $x^2 - 9$?
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Study Notes
Factoring Polynomials
Sum and Difference Formulas
- Sum of Cubes Formula: $a^3 + b^3 = (a + b)(a^2 - ab + b^2)$
- Difference of Cubes Formula: $a^3 - b^3 = (a - b)(a^2 + ab + b^2)$
Factoring Out Greatest Common Factors (GCF)
- GCF: the largest number or expression that divides all terms of the polynomial
- Steps to factor out the GCF:
- Find the GCF of all terms
- Divide each term by the GCF
- Write the result as a product of the GCF and the remaining terms
Example: Factor $6x^2 + 12x + 18$ * GCF = 6 * Factor out 6: $6(x^2 + 2x + 3)$
Difference of Squares
- Difference of Squares Formula: $a^2 - b^2 = (a + b)(a - b)$
- Factoring: $a^2 - b^2 = (a + b)(a - b)$
- Example: Factor $x^2 - 9$
- $x^2 - 9 = (x + 3)(x - 3)$
Sum and Difference Formulas
- The Sum of Cubes Formula is: $a^3 + b^3 = (a + b)(a^2 - ab + b^2)$
- The Difference of Cubes Formula is: $a^3 - b^3 = (a - b)(a^2 + ab + b^2)$
Factoring Out Greatest Common Factors (GCF)
- The GCF is the largest number or expression that divides all terms of the polynomial
- Steps to factor out the GCF are:
- Find the GCF of all terms
- Divide each term by the GCF
- Write the result as a product of the GCF and the remaining terms
- Example: Factoring $6x^2 + 12x + 18$ involves finding the GCF as 6, then writing it as $6(x^2 + 2x + 3)$
Difference of Squares
- The Difference of Squares Formula is: $a^2 - b^2 = (a + b)(a - b)$
- Factoring $a^2 - b^2$ results in $(a + b)(a - b)$
- Example: Factoring $x^2 - 9$ results in $(x + 3)(x - 3)$
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Description
Solve polynomial equations using the sum and difference formulas, and learn how to factor out the greatest common factor (GCF) of a polynomial expression.